Chuck Takes A Stand
by Nomadic Nerd
Summary: This takes place after Chuck vs Tom Sawyer. Chuck finds out about the kill order. He decides to take a stand against General Beckman for the way he has been treated, with a little help from his friends.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Okay, I guess I'm really doing this. I've read a lot of Chuck Fanfiction over the last eight months since discovering this site and I suppose it's my time to pay it forward (that and I'm running out of stories to read). I was actually working on another story when the idea for this one hit me after reading "Chuck vs the Just Deserts". The first part of that story illustrates all that the government is asking from Chuck and it hit me that Chuck gets nothing in return. I guess great minds think alike (or is it misery loves company?) since I wrote this on 25 July, one day before the story "What Would You Like" was published. If you haven't read it please go read it first as it is probably better than mine.

My story differs from that those two in that in my story Chuck has to demand the rewards and respect he has earned (with a little help from his friends).

Let start of by saying that I love the show, however after reading the stories here I have realized that if you people had been writing the scripts, the show it would still be on the air. I tend to rant a little bit, just ask Billatwork, so I'll try to keep this short. I have several beefs with the writers and producers of the show but one of my biggest is how Beckman and to a lesser extent Casey treated Chuck. Beckman almost never used his name it was "asset" this or "intersect" that. It drove me crazy! Now I know its fiction, I mean the whole concept of the show throws reality out the window (like downloading secrets in to a human brain, Shaw getting Sarah, etc). However, I do like my fiction to have a little believability and a basis in reality.

Anyway, this is something I wish I could have seen on the show. I hope you enjoy it! Please let me know either way by reviewing this.

I own nothing except my truck, which was just paid off last month.

Oh, I almost forgot! Digital Dave is not my creation, but I am old and getting senile (according to my wife) and I can't remember which story it came from, but I really liked the character. If anyone knows who should get the credit please let me know!

A/N UPDATE! Great News! I was notified by fezzywhigg that Digital Dave was created by the very talented and generous Frea O'Scanlin. Before you waste time reading my story you REALLY should go read her stuff!

I've also had my Nerd Cred taken down a several notches by Arya's prayers for butchering the spelling of Han Solo and Lando Calrissian ( I added an "S" and forgot an "L"). Both have been corrected. New Chapter should be up tomorrow. Thanks!

* * *

**Prologue**

**Washington Dc**

**Intersect Update Center**

**2330 EST**

'_Deadlines are the bane of human existence'_ thought the weary programmer looking at the clock. '_What difference would another day or two make_?' His superiors obviously didn't appreciate the complexity of writing code that was able to be uploaded into the human brain. He was the lead programmer in the Intersect Project, affectionately referred to as "Digital Dave" by his friends and colleagues. He was finishing last bit of code for the Insect update scheduled for the next day. He rubbed his eyes and wished for a Red Bull but because of a broken vending machine he had been without this particular "fix" for the past 8 hours. Because of this, and the fact he was coming to the end of an 18 hour programming session, he missed seeing a post-it note fall off the computer disc labeled "Intersect Surveillance" he just uploaded and coded images for. On the note was a handwritten message stating "Not for Intersect upload. File this in the archive." It was signed "D. B.". Finally finished with the update, Digital Dave saved his work and logged off his computer for the night and headed home. Later as the janitorial staff cleaned the computer lab, the errant post-it note was swept up throw away with the rest of the trash. The trash was sent to the incinerator room as was protocol for all trash from the intersect project offices.

General Diane Beckman was asleep in her home, oblivious to the night's events or the consequences they would have for her in the upcoming weeks. This was to be her last good night's sleep for a while, courtesy of one pissed off nerd herder and his equally pissed off and lethal handler. This was going to be a rough couple of days.

* * *

**Chapter 1**

**Buy More**

**Burbank, CA**

**1130 PST**

Chuck was sitting at the Nerd Herd desk thinking about the events earlier in the week, he was finally a Stanford graduate. He sighed heavily knowing he should be happier at this turn of events but the reality is he wasn't. '_What good is my diploma? Beckman won't let me leave the Buy More. It's like a kiss from your sister, nice but doesn't really have any passion, which in the context of kissing your sister is a good thing, but if passion is your goal it's not. Not that you want passion from a sisters kiss… oh God, even my thoughts are spiraling.' _Sighing again he thought_ 'Kissing Ellie is a nice sign of brotherly love but kissing Sarah again, now that would be, WOW!'… _

"Chuck! Hello, Chuck, you in there?" asked an angelic voice.

"Huh? Oh, hi Sarah, I didn't see you come in." said a blushing Chuck.

"I can see that, can I ask where you were?" she asked flirtingly.

"I was, uh, thinking about my diploma and how nice it is, but it would nicer to actually be able to use it and how it's like a kiss from… uh, never mind. Can I help you with something?" he said trying to change the subject.

"I just came over to remind of the update after your shift is over" she said suddenly all business.

_"How does she do that_?' he thought. '_It's like she has a switch in her head that goes from normal girl to spy_'. "Yeah, thanks for the reminder. I should take some aspirin before I head down to Castle."

"Are the headaches that bad" she asked in the real girl voice.

"It depends on the size of the update" he replied. "Hopefully this is as small as the first one Bryce gave me" Since that first on he had received three small updates and one large one.

"I'm sorry to say but I've been told this one is pretty big" she said sadly. "Apparently Bryce has gotten a lot of Intel on Fulcrum."

"Grrrreat!" he said sarcastically. "Looks like I'll be spending the night in Castle. I'll call Ellie later and let her know I'm staying the night with you, if that's okay. I don't want her seeing me with an intersect headache, she'll order a CAT scan."

Sarah laughed "She is a mother hen around you. But yeah, it's okay to tell her you're with me." She then said the words that Chuck hated most. "It'll be good for the cover. Anyway, I've got to get back to the store, lots of frozen goodness to sell". She leaned in and gave him a quick kiss and turned and walked away.

"See you later" he called after her. She turned and flashed him a smile. Not just any smile, but THAT smile. It was the one that made his insides feel warm and gooey. '_How can a smile be that powerful' _he thought. _'More importantly is it a normal girl smile or a spy smile?' _the world may never know, but he hoped he would one day.

* * *

**Buy More Parking Lot**

**1525 PST**

His shift over, he was headed across the parking lot towards the Orange Orange when he heard Morgan call out to him.

"Chuck! Halo marathon tonight?" shouted his best friend.

"Sorry Morg, got plans with Sarah." Chuck told him

Not to be put off Morgan exclaimed "Aww man! But you are off tomorrow! It'll be epic! You know bro's before …"

Chuck yelled "MORGAN! We've had this discussion before! Sarah is not a …"

"Yeah, I know. Sorry man. I'm just going though Chuck withdrawal." Morgan said dejectedly.

"I know buddy, but I'll talk to Sarah and see what our schedule is like later this week and then you and I can get together, okay?" Chuck said to the bearded one.

"Awesome! Maybe get some sizzling shrimp?" he said excitedly.

"Wow, you really know how to close the deal." Chuck said laughingly. "See you later!"

Chuck continued walking to the double "O" at a faster pace. '_Oh man, I'm late!_' he thought. '_After the day I've had, dealing with an irritated General and an even more irritated Major is all I need.' _As he entered the store Sarah was waiting for him.

"Chuck we need to hurry, you're ten minutes late" she scolded.

"Sorry, but right before my shift ended I had the customer from hell on the phone and then Morgan grabbed me in the parking lot. It's not my fault!" Chuck answered defensively.

"Did you just quote Han Solo?" she asked suddenly smiling.

"Lando Calrissian said it too!" he said as he gave Sarah his million dollar smile.

"Nerd!" she said as she turned the closed sign on the door.

"It takes one to know one!" He replied

"I AM NOT A NERD!" she said in mock anger.

"Oh yeah? You KNEW who I was quoting!" Chuck said smugly, effectively ending the playful argument.

"Just get you butt downstairs before I remind you why you call me a "Kick Ass Ninja Girl" she said menacingly.

"Yes ma'am" he said knowing he won the battle but just lost the war. As they got downstairs he saw Casey, looking angrier than usual.

"It's about time Moron! Don't they have clocks in the nerdiverse? Generals aren't used to being kept waiting by the hired help." Casey growled.

"Since I'm not getting paid I don't think I qualify as "the hired help" he said using air quotes as he spoke.

"If you gentlemen are quite finished, I do have other important matters to handle" said the giant face on the TV monitor.

"Sorry General." both men replied meekly.

"Very well, is the asset ready for the update?" Beckman snapped.

"Yes Ma'am, uh how big is this update going to be?" asked Chuck.

"I'm told it should only take two and a half to three hours." She replied

"Wow, that's the longest update yet" Chuck said apprehensively

"You have something better to do, Moron?" Casey asked coldly.

"No, I just wanted to know how big of a headache I can expect if you must know!" Chuck said obviously getting tired of Casey's insults.

"Can we get on with this?" Beckman snapped.

"Chuck here is your chair, we don't want you falling on the concrete floor like last time" said Sarah soothingly.

Chuck calmed down as he sat in the chair Sarah had wheeled over to him. "Okay, I'm ready" he said once he saw that both Sarah and Casey had put on their protective glasses.

The display cut off and was replaced by a countdown timer, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, and then the display was filled with random images flashing quickly across the screen. Chucks eyelids fluttered rapidly and he appeared to Sarah and Casey to be in a kind of trance.

"You got this Walker?" Casey spoke breaking the silence.

"Yeah, where are you going?" Sarah replied.

"I gotta cover a shift up top for the bearded troll." he grunted. "He covered for me a week ago when that mission came up and now it's time to pay up."

"Okay, see you at tomorrow morning's briefing." Sarah said as Casey headed up the stairs.

* * *

**Castle**

**1845 PST**

The update finished and the video monitor Chuck was watching went blank. A loud audible beep sounded letting Sarah know the update was complete. Sarah turned off the monitor and went to check on Chuck. As was normal after an update he was unconscious. Sarah rolled the office chair Chuck was sitting in towards the holding cells so she could move him to a cot so he could be more comfortable. Once she had placed Chuck on the cot she covered him with a blanket. She pulled out a bottle of aspirin set it down beside a bottle of water that she had placed on the nightstand earlier. As she looked down at him her hand towards his unruly curls but stopped before making contact. Sighing heavily, she exited the room.

Two hours later Chuck woke up with a massive headache. '_Thank God the lights have been turned down' _he thought as he opened his eyes. Chuck saw the water and aspirin and smiled when he realized who must have put them there. Grabbing the water bottle, he took a long drink washing down the three tablets he had just popped in his mouth. He slowly stood and stepped out of the cell and starting walking down the hall when he heard Sarah's voice.

"No General, Ch- the asset is still asleep. This update seems to a have taken a bigger toll on him than the previous ones. Is there a risk of these updates harming him?" Sarah asked in her spy voice.

Chuck moved further down the hall careful not to make a sound to hear what was being said.

"Contact me when he wakes, we a have a few tests to see if the update was successful. My experts don't foresee any long term harmful effects to the asset, not that that is any concern of yours." answered the General.

When Chuck heard Beckman's voice a powerful flash suddenly came over Chuck. Suddenly two video clips were playing in his mind. The first was from his apartment '_Why is Casey in my apartment? WHAT? He's pointing a gun at me!' _The second was from Casey's apartment_ 'Beckman and Graham ordered me terminated? OH NO!'_ Seeing these images caused him to collapse to the floor. He cried out in pain startling both Sarah and the General.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: WOW! I never expected the response that I've received! You people either have really low standards or are really desperate for something to read! LOL! Seriously, though I am very grateful and want to say thanks to those that liked the story! The reviews were, well awesome to borrow from the Captain. Special thanks to Ayra's Prayers for correcting me on a major Nerd mistake! Also, a big thanks to Frea O'Scanlin for allowing me to use Digital Dave in Chapter one! Now if you want to read really good stories look up theirs and abandon this story now!

Still here? Don't say you haven't been warned. Also no BETA's have been harmed (or used) in the writing of this story. If you think I need to start using them or that the story isn't too awful without them, I'd like to hear what you think.

Things get darker for a few chapters. I'll try to remember that Chuck was a comedy/spy/romance/action show so bear with me. Oh, I haven't said this yet but I'm a fan of all things Charah so hopefully I can work that in at some point.

* * *

**Chapter 2**

**Castle**

**2045 PST**

"CHUCK!" shouted Sarah as she rushed over to him.

"Sarah, please. Please tell me you didn't know!" he whispered, looking at her with tears streaming down his face "TELL ME THE TRUTH, DID YOU KNOW!" he suddenly shouted.

"Chuck? Know what? What are you talking about?" Sarah asked frantically.

"MY TERMINATION ORDER!" he said still shouting.

"What? What termination order?" Sarah asked looking confused. '_They were going to kill Chuck? My Ch-'_ her thoughts were interrupted by Chuck.

"THE ONE SHE ORDERED!" he spat out, glaring at Beckman's image on the monitor.

"Mr. Bartowski! What are you talking about there's no termination order on you." Beckman looked confused as she answered.

"Maybe not now." he said more calmly but the look in his eyes scared Sarah. She had never seen Chuck like this before. "You did put one out when you thought the new intersect was coming online. Then my usefulness would be over. Discard the Nerd like yesterday's trash. How could you do this to me? I didn't ask for this! I just did it because it was the right thing to do! After all I did for you people! And this is how I'm thanked for serving my country! Casey is sent into my apartment to put a bullet into the back of my head? Was Ellie supposed to find me that way? Oh God! Do you know what that would have done to her? What kind of MONSTER are you! I saved millions of people's lives last week from that satellite, ME! Plain old Chuck Bartowski! Not your precious intersect or your blood thirsty cold school killer Casey but plain old Chuck! Think about that the next time you try and kill a loyal US citizen!"

"MR. BARTOWSKI! CALM YOURSELF DOWN OR I'LL PUT YOU IN CUSTODY!" yelled the tiny General.

"With absolutely no respect intended General, FRACK OFF!" Chuck shouted the last two words and turned and stomped up the steps.

"MR. BARTOWSKI! MR. BARTOWSKI! COME BACK HERE! WHAT DID HE SAY? WHAT DOES THAT EVEN MEAN? Agent Walker, take the asset in to custody immediately!" ordered Beckman.

"Ma'am?" asked a stunned Sarah. "Did you really order him terminated?"

"Agent Walker, I gave you an order! Now I expect you to do you duty and carry it out immediately!" Beckman said firmly.

"My primary duty, Ma'am, is to protect the Intersect. You didn't answer my question. . ?" Agent Walker asked menacingly, as she looked at General's image on the display.

Beckman noticed that Sarah's demeanor suddenly changed into Agent Walker, Graham's Wild Card Enforcer. She had heard the stories of Sarah's Wild Card Enforcer persona from her early career in the CIA but had never witnessed it firsthand. She involuntarily shuddered as she looked into Walker's cold as ice eyes. "Yes, at the time Graham and I thought it best. The chance he could be found and captured by Fulcrum was too big a risk. We are in a war with Fulcrum! Now, are you going to take the asset in custody or do I have to reassign you?"

"This is what I'm going to do Ma'am, first I'll find the asset – WAIT! No, we're not calling him that anymore. I'll bring CHUCK back and then YOU are going to FIX THIS! Because if you don't then I WILL and believe me you really don't want that. I am REALLY good at fixing things." Agent Walker replied coldly.

"I want him in custody! You will follow my orders or -" said Beckman trying to regain the upper hand.

"STOP! You know my reputation, right?" said Agent Walker cutting off Beckman's threat.

"Of course I've read your mission reports!" replied Beckman

"Good, then you should know the archived mission reports have been "sanitized" to downplay my actions during those missions. I doubt you have access to the Graham's special project files, trust me those are the scary ones, but you are resourceful so I suggest you find and read those. You'll find I'm a really good friend to have on your side. Goodnight Ma'am. I'll be in touch." Agent Walker said as she cut the video feed. She picked up her phone and smiled briefly when she saw where Chuck was. She closed the locator app, and then dialed a number. "Mary, I need a favor. I may have just declared war on Beckman." Sarah talked quietly for a few minutes before hanging up. She dialed a second number and when the person on the other end picked up she said frantically "Hello? Get to Castle, now!" and then hung up.

* * *

**Buy More**

**2100 PST**

Casey hit the end call button on his phone as he headed to the break room and wondered what the Moron had done now. After making sure the coast was clear he opened the door behind the lockers and began his descent down to Castle. As he walked down the steps he didn't see Walker anywhere. '_She's probably playing grabass with her boy-toy'_. "Walker!" he called out.

"Back here, in the detention area!" her panicked voice called over the intercom system.

Casey gave one of his usual grunts and headed down the hall. On his way he quickly looked at the surveillance system and saw her leaning over one of the cots in a holding cell. '_I wonder what's so urgent, is Chuck okay?_' He stopped for a second and wondered where the hell that thought came from. _'Damn Moron, I didn't know lady feelings were contagious'_. He continued to the detention area and entered a combination for a wall locker and quickly put his weapon inside as the "No weapon" policy in the detention area dictated. He then unlocked the door and entered. Sarah met him in the hall outside of the cell she had been in. She looked worried.

"Something's wrong with Chuck" she said hurriedly.

"Let me see." he said gruffly.

As soon as he entered the cell the door closed and locked. Casey quickly turned and shouted "WHAT THE HELL WALKER!" He looked at Sarah but Sarah wasn't there, something else was, something worse, something way worse. He was looking at Graham's Wild Card Enforcer. "Oh shit!" he mumbled as he heard Sarah say the most feared words a man could hear.

"We need to talk"

"Talk? Talk about what?" Casey asked cautiously.

"How about we start with trusting your partner, before we get to why you were in Chuck's apartment aiming a gun at him the night the new Intersect blew up." the Enforcer said.

Casey's face visibly blanched. "Who told you that?"

"Chuck did, apparently that video was in the update along with the video of Beckman and Graham giving you the order. Casey, when I asked you in the Orange Orange if they wanted Chuck dead, you sat there and told me he was safe. You lied to me." She said coldly

"No, I didn't. At that time the cipher was missing and as long as it stayed missing Chuck was safe. If the Moron hadn't flashed on the stupid ring impression on my cheek then we wouldn't have recovered the cipher and I wouldn't have been there." Casey replied.

"Why didn't you tell me, I'm you partner." She asked.

"Come on, if I'd have told you what would you have done? Help me? Done the job for me? No, you're so compromised with him you would have done something stupid like run with him or try and stop me. I was protecting my partner from hurting herself. THAT'S what partners do, protect each other!" Casey stated firmly.

"Would you have killed him if I hadn't shown up?" Agent Walker asked ignoring his comment about her being compromised.

"I follow orders Walker, but push come to shove I honestly don't know. Casey said quietly. "I tried to change their minds but they wouldn't listen. I thought if I refused they'd just send someone else and the kid deserved the best and that's me. Walker, before you ki- do what you're going to do to me, I like to ask a favor."

"I'm really not in the favor granting mood, but ask and I'll think about it." She said icily.

"I always knew this would come out eventually, so I put some files on a thumb drive for you and Chuck. The drive is in my locker here in Castle. If you could look at them and explain to Chuck why I did what I did, I'd appreciate it. Maybe get him to at least understand, if not forgive me. I'd really hate being one of the few people in the world hated by Chuck."Casey asked dejectedly.

"I'll be back" she stated and left.

Sarah went to the locker and found the drive. She pulled a laptop out and made sure it was disconnected from the network before loading the drive. The drive asked for a pin number so she entered 02111911. The pin worked and Sarah smiled briefly at Casey's choice of a pin. '_One for the Gipper she thought'_. The drive had two folders one labeled Chuck and the other with her name. She opened hers first and saw a series of .mpg files with dates as file names. She quickly watched several clips when she realized what they were. _'He cut all of the surveillance clips of me looking at Chuck when no one saw me. Do I really look like that when I look at Chuck?'_ She clicked the pause button and looked at her own face on the screen. The image showed a woman in love looking at the object of that love. _'If Beckman ever saw this I would've been reassigned.'_ She thought. "THAT'S what partners do, protect each other!" remembering Casey's words. She closed the folder and opened the other one. There were four .mpg files. She watched them all and saw that Casey was telling the truth. The first was him getting the initial order from Beckman, next was him missing Chuck's picture during target practice. The third was the order from both of their superiors and his argument against the order. Finally there was the apartment footage. Seeing his reaction to the news of the new Intersects destruction brought a smile to her face. _'Casey really does like Chuck, maybe he wouldn't have followed through with it after all. But why would he do the hit at that time? He knew about our dinner plans. It's almost like he wanted me there right after. Was I a target too?'_ she thought as the smile vanished from her face. _'It's time to get more answers.'_ She thought as she headed back to the detention area.

"Why would you do the hit just before I arrived at Chucks for dinner?" the Enforcer said glaring at the man in the cell.

"I figured you'd either stop me or you'd have the chance to settle up with Chuck's killer in a fair fight. I owed you that much. No matter how the fight turned out, one of us would've gotten some peace. Maybe your killing me would help you deal with losing someone you lo- cared about. Maybe even let me get back a little piece of my honor." Casey said quietly.

Sarah couldn't speak for a minute after hearing Casey's words. Swallowing hard she simply said "Wait here, I'm going to get Chuck."

* * *

A/N: I have always wondered why Casey would kill Chuck in the apartment and at that time. This is my take on why he would do such a thing. I also have a teaser for something in an upcoming chapter. Who is the Mary that Sarah called? Please let me know what you think!


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** Wow! Still amazed at the response! Thanks to all that have taken the time to reviews this, they are very encouraging. This chapter is my longest yet and it is all Chuck and Sarah, but it sets the stage for later chapters. Don't worry I'll explain who Mary is in the next Chapter!

As always, I don't own any spy or space cowboy stories. Nope nothing but my truck, and this pen, and this lamp, and this chair. Sorry I was being a jerk there, LOL!

* * *

**Chapter 3**

**The beach**

**2330 PST**

She found Chuck sitting alone on the beach in what she came to view as "their" spot. She had been watching him for an hour or so deciding the best way to handle this mess. She thought back to her conversation with Casey earlier and shuttered at how close Chuck came to dying that night. _'What if I'd arrived a few minutes later?'_ All of her promises that she could protect him came within a hairs breath of being untrue. She'd burned assets before but they were usually bad people, who'd been caught, paid, or blackmailed into helping the CIA. Bad people deserve no mercy, or at least that is what she used to think before meeting a certain nerd. Now she's not sure if she did the right thing. One thing she is certain of, Chuck does not fit the definition of "bad people". Killing a good, funny, loving, kind, trusting, and special man like Chuck for the "Greater Good" perverts its meaning.

'_How can one man turn my world upside down so completely?_' she wonders. '_Not just mine, Casey seemed pretty shaken up when found out that Chuck knew what he'd almost done' _she thought.

Remembering the look on Casey's face almost made her feel sorry for him. It was the look of someone ashamed of themselves. It reminded her of a Sci-Fi TV show Chuck made her watch; a crew member on a spaceship tried to double-cross the Captain and was going to be jettisoned into space. His biggest fear wasn't dying but that the rest of the crew knew of his betrayal. Casey had that same look. _'Does Casey really regret what he almost did?' _she asked herself.

It was time to talk to Chuck, she'd put it off long enough.

As she approached the spot he was sitting she noticed a half full bottle of some kind of whiskey beside him. "Hi Chuck, mind if I sit down?" Sarah asked tentatively.

"Have a seat, I'm a little drunk. Want some?"Chuck asked as he moved the bottle towards her.

"Sure." She said as she took the bottle and took a drink. She then put the bottle down beside her, away from Chuck.

"Still can't hide from you can I?" he said with a sad smile on his face.

"Maybe you need a new spot to hide." Sarah said smiling back at him.

"I kind of expected Casey this time." he said softly.

"Casey's kind of locked up at the moment, for his own protection." Sarah said in slightly menacing tone.

"Locked up for his protection?" He asked with a confused look on his face.

"I needed answers and I was afraid of what I might do if he answered incorrectly, so I locked him in a holding cell." She explained.

"Okay. Sarah, I uh, really hate myself for asking this, but you didn't know, right? I mean in my heart I know you didn't know but my stupid brain won't let it go. I really need to hear you say it, please." Chuck's voice was thick with emotion as the tears in his hazel eyes threatened to spill down his cheeks.

Sarah's heart broke at the sight but was relieved when he said in his heart he knew she didn't know of the order. '_He feels betrayed by those he trusted yet again. His parents, Bryce, Jill and now Beckman and Casey were added to the list. The least I can do is give him the reassurance he needs – no, that he deserves.'_ She thought to herself. "Chuck, when I first met you I asked you to trust me, and while I may not have always told you the truth about some things, but I have ALWAYS had your best interest at heart. Killing you kind goes against that don't you think?" she said softly.

"Thank you, I knew my brain was lying to me." He said as he wiped the tears away. "But why did they give the order to kill me, Sarah? What did I do to deserve that? Did I screw up somehow? How could Casey save my life a few days before and then come into my apartment to kill me. I thought we were becoming friends."

"No Chuck, you didn't screw anything up. In fact, like I've said before you're fantastic." She said was a small smile, but then got more serious. "I'm not going to make excuses for Beckman and Graham, but in their own way they genuinely saw you as a threat to national security if Fulcrum was to ever find and capture you. They have been in this business for a long time. They've seen more than their share of blown missions due to trusting the wrong people."

"Chuck, I know the spy world is foreign to you, you tend to see only the good in people, and trust people far more than you should. Spies see the worst that humanity has to offer and we often have a jaded view of the world. When someone as honest and noble as you comes along we don't know how to take it. My superiors also see things through the prism of D.C. politics. If they let you live and you were captured not only would the country be harmed but their careers as well. There are dozens and dozens of people waiting in the wings for them to screw up so they can knock them down and assume their position. I think they both have forgotten that people like you are who they are supposed to be protecting. The fear of failure sometimes inhibits their ability to do the right thing. The good news is that as much as they fear our failures they bask in the light of our successes. Chuck, you were VERY successful last week with that satellite." She said giving him a slight shoulder bump and making him smile a little.

"As for Casey, he showed me some video clips. In one, he was arguing against the orders. He really tried to change their mind. Another clip shows him during target practice he only missed one target, a picture of you. He had a surprised look on his face when he missed. He also drug his feet on your flash of Colt's ring impression. He didn't want to find the cipher. The last clip shows how relieved he was when I arrived and told you about the new Intersect explosion. He told me if someone had to carry out the order that you deserved the best and that's him. Chuck, I really don't think he could've pulled the trigger. I suspect he picked that place and time to give me a chance to stop him." Sarah explained.

"You really believe that?"Chuck asked hopefully.

"When we get back to Castle I'll let you watch the clips for yourself and you can decide. You also can talk to him if you want to." Sarah said.

"Okay, but what happens now? How can I work with people I'm not sure I can trust?" He asked. "I thought I was working for the good guys but they'd have killed me just the same as a bad guy. What do I do now? I'm just an asset." he said dejectedly.

"Chuck, in the spy game assets usually are bad guys, or facilitators of some sort, who've been caught and offered a deal, or paid for their assistance, and even blackmailed into working for the government. We bug them, seduce them and coerce them, and anything else we can think of to gain their cooperation. Some not really be bad guys themselves, but derive some sort of compensation from the bad guys. But the bottom line is that in most cases they are not nice people. Now Chuck, this is important, which kind of asset are you?" she asked with a smirk on her face.

"I'm not a bad guy and I don't help bad guys or even know any unless the intersect tells me someone is bad, then I know them - well I don't know them just stuff about them - but. " he said until Sarah cut him off.

"Chuck, you're spiralling. Think for a minute, what is the one thing in common that both kinds of assets share?" Sarah said patiently.

"Well, aside from the whole bad guy thing, they get some kind of compensation." Chuck said warily.

"How are you compensated?" She said smiling.

"Does not being killed or thrown in a bunker count?" he smirked.

"No it does not. Chuck you are in a strong negotiating position here. I think you need to use that to your benefit. You could ask for some concessions and probably get them. How would you describe your role on the team?" she asked.

"Well, I think I've shown that I'm not the stay in the car guy." he paused when he saw Sarah's expression. "Er, moving on, I guess you could say a kind tech support/analyst that goes on missions?" he said hesitantly.

"We call them Field Support to provide the technical needs of the Agent. Field Analysts usually stay at the safe house or in the van." She said with a mock glare.

Chuck swallowed noticeably as he said "So sort of like Emilio Estevez in the first Mission Impossible movie? Cause I thought he was the coolest, I mean hanging in an elevator shaft hacking into-" Chuck stopped mid sentence when he saw the look on Sarah's face. "Never mind, shutting up now, please continue." he said as he made a key turning gesture over his lips.

"Anyway, my point is do you have any idea how much an Intelligence analyst makes?" She continued as she sees him shake his head no. "A government non field analyst straight out of college usually starts as a GS-11 making about $65 thousand dollars per year. A civilian contractor analyst makes $20-25 thousand per year more than the government employee. As an agent, I'm a GS-14 making about $120 thousand per year. When I'm on assignment I get paid an additional amount to cover expenses, like housing, food and clothes and any other things needed to maintain the cover. I also get to keep my salary from my cover job."

"I could be making $65K a year? I make less than $25k at the Buy More with overtime." he asked incredulously.

"No, an in house analyst makes that. You're special, with your IT talents and your newly acquired degree from Stanford you could easily be a GS 13 making $90 or an independent contractor making much more. But you also have the Intersect." She explained.

"How much more?" he asked.

"A contractor usually offers a service the Government can't do. Since you are the only Intersect, wouldn't you agree that means you could set your own price? Of course I wouldn't get too greedy; they do have other ways to make you cooperate." She said carefully, knowing he was still vulnerable.

"You mean they'd threaten Ellie to force me. Look, I'm not doing this for money; I'm just trying to survive this thing and get my life back. I mean, yeah, it feels good to know that I helped put some very bad people away but the only good thing to come out of this is…, never mind, I've been drinking and I talk too much when I've been drinking." he said

"Is what Chuck?"Sarah asked curiously. "Chuck, finish your thought, please" she asked pleadingly.

"IT'S YOU! Alright, it's you! It's always been you. You're the last thing I think of before going to sleep and the first I think of when I wake up. For five years I'd lived in a haze, like a ship lost in the fog. But you're like a bright light showing me the way back. You've given me a reason to go on, to be more than I am. You're the only good thing this thing in my head has brought into my life! The only bright spot in my day working at the Buy More is seeing you come through the door and when you see me, you flash that beautiful smile. The only happy thoughts I have is thinking that one day you and I can be real and have a normal relationship without it putting you in danger!" Chuck blurted out.

Sarah was surprised at Chuck's outburst. She paused awhile before speaking _'How do I tell him that I feel the same way? That I feel those same things? That I want that real, normal relationship – WAIT, what did he mean with that last sentence.'_ Sarah thought. "What do you mean put me in danger? Chuck, I'm in danger on every mission! Is that why you broke up with me? You thought I'd be in danger? She asked angrily.

"Bryce said you didn't take that shot in the train station because you had feelings for me and one day those feelings would get you hurt again, or worse. I couldn't live knowing I caused that." He said softly. "You mean too much to me. If being in a relationship with you puts in a position to get hurt then-" he paused when his voice cracked. He took a second to compose himself before speaking again. "Then the price is too high. I will do anything to keep you safe, even at the cost of my happiness."

"BRYCE! YOU TALKED TO BRYCE!" She growled. "Bryce Larkin, the man who got you kicked out of Stanford and sent you the Intersect. My ex-partner who has tried several times to get me to renew our partnership told you that breaking up with me was in MY best interest AND YOU BELIEVED HIM! I swear I'm going to break his jaw when I see him again! Chuck, Bryce wants me back and will do and say anything to accomplish that. That chapter in my life is over, Bryce and I will never be that way again. He was at best a distraction, someone to kill time with in between missions. In the train station I didn't take the shot because I suffered a concussion a few days before and I was afraid my aim would be off. Killing the person you are supposed to protect is a big no-no in the CIA. If anything my feelings for you put me in greater danger when you broke up with me! I kept wondering why couldn't you be with me and I wasn't focusing on the mission because of it. Why would you think I'd be in less danger? You know for a smart guy you can be really stupid sometimes."

"Oh, wow he did it to me again. I really, really, hate Bryce Larkin. Wait, did you just admit that you have feelings for me and they don't put you in danger?" he asked quietly.

_'__CRAP! Why did I say that? What do I say now? How do I fix this without hurting him yet again? Oh well, when all else fails try the truth.'_ She thought. "Chuck it's complicated, but I've had feelings for you for awhile and yet I've still managed to protect you. If anything I think I'm more protective. The problem is if we show our feelings I get reassigned. I don't trust anyone else to protect you like I can." Sarah said sadly. "Chuck, you were right though, I will never be the "normal" girl you deserve."

"Sarah, when I said that it came out wrong. I didn't mean you were less than normal but extra normal, super normal. I know there's a word for that but I've had half a bottle of whiskey and I majored in engineering not english. I meant you deserve someone much, much better than me." Chuck said as he looked in her eyes.

'Oh, those damn big beautiful eyes of his should be registered as weapons' she thought. "Chuck, you wouldn't say that if you knew my past, I'm not a good person. It's me that doesn't deserve you." she said looking down away from his gaze.

"Sarah, it looks like we both feel undeserving of the other. Maybe, that shows how much we really do deserve each other. How much we need each other. If only I wasn't an asset-" he said as his voice trailed off. "Hold on! Sarah, earlier you said I could ask for just about anything, right? So, can an agent date an analyst or a contractor?" Chuck asked.

"There are rules against dating a contractor but an agent can date an analyst if the analyst doesn't work for directly for the agent." Sarah replied.

"So if I were an NSA field analyst working directly for Beckman we could date?" Chuck asked excitedly.

"I lo- like the way your big brain works." she said happily.

"Okay, I have an idea but I need to do some research first, let's get back to Castle and after I finished let's talk to Casey and plan what Team Bartowski is going to ask for from Beckman." he said standing up reaching his hand out to Sarah.

**A/N:** Well, I went through this several times trying to make better and I think I will post it as it is. It seems wordy but I don't know what to cut. Hopefully, the next chapter will be up this weekend. Please review and let me know my mistakes!


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: **I'm sorry that I'm just getting this out now. This is my longest chapter yet. I apologize in advance for any typo's but it is after midnight and I want to post this and go to bed. I had hoped to publish it yesterday but every time I sat down to write very little happened. Today I started writing and the story took off in a direction that I didn't intend but one that I liked. I give some of Sarah's back story but leave he parents purposefully vague to make you wonder who they really are. If you want a real in depth and thorough Sarah back story then you HAVE to read 'Becoming by Ayra's Prayers. I seriously can't say enough good things about that story. In fact if you haven't read it you should go there now. I think I left enough room to expand that into another story but will be for another time. I answer you the mysterious Mary is in this chapter. If still don't know who she is I'll spell it out in the A/N at the end of this. I am sooo thankful to those of you who have reviewed followed and made this story a favorite. So far the feedback has been positive so I must not be screwing this up too bad or it has so disgusted people that they can't be bothered to tell me how awful it truly is. LOL! Please review, it's the only payment I get.

As before, I own none of the characters in this story. I do however own a pretty nice truck. But I think a story about would be as interesting as watching paint dry.

* * *

**Chapter 4**

**Washington D.C.**

**Beckman Residence**

**2355 EST**

"WHAT THE HELL! SHE DID NOT JUST DISCONNECT ME!" General Dianne Beckman shouted at the now blank video monitor. '_I'll send Casey to straighten her out and recover Bartowski!'_ She thought angrily. She reached for her phone the thought better of it. _'No, sending Casey into Castle could lead to a violent confrontation between him and Walker, and right now she had home field advantage. Sending Casey after the asset could be just as bad, if the asset saw Casey he would assume the worst and possibly to something desperate and I could lose the best weapon I have against Fulcrum. DAMN! What in the hell do I do now? I need to know what the asset saw in the update.'_ She picked up the phone and called the NSA night shift Watch Officer "Beckman secure, get Digital Dave to call me ASAP! Also what is the location of asset THX1138?"

"One moment ma'am, it looks like that asset is in a liquor store in Burbank. Do I need to send someone for a pickup?" the Watch Officer asked.

"No, that won't be necessary just monitor his position for now and let me know if he leaves the local area. That'll be all, Beckman out." she replied. '_Bartowski may have the right idea, a drink sounds good right about now.'_ she thought eyeing the bottles on the credenza in her office. _'No, I have to keep a clear head if I'm going to "fix this as Walker suggested, but was a suggestion or a threat?_' she wondered. Shaking off the thought she tries to think of what else can she do until Digital Dave calls. '_If I send a full extraction team.'_ she thinks as she looks at her watch. _'It would take the team 90 minutes be in place. Walker could grab the asset and be gone before that. Or worse, she could take out the team as well as Casey, if she is as good as her reputation suggests. How would I explain losing the asset to rogue CIA agent who not only took out the best NSA agent she had but also a 5 man extraction team. I'd be lucky if they let me work NSA coffee shop after something like that.'_ The phone rang interrupting her thoughts. "Beckman secure."

"Dave secure, what can I do for you General" Dave said apprehensively.

"What the hell was in that update?" Beckman stormed. "The asset saw a file he shouldn't have!"

"What file?" he asked.

"The termination order put on him six months ago." She answered.

"Oh shit! I remember coding that! I thought it was strange at the time but I figured you already told him and you were sending sort of a warning to him." Dave mumbled.

"WHAT! You knowingly put it in there! How incompetent are you!" Beckman growled.

"Look, you moved up the schedule for the update and had my team working round the clock for two weeks with little to no rest. I asked for several smaller updates but you overruled me. It's not my fault!" Dave replied angrily.

Beckman couldn't believe her ears, twice in one night a subordinate was taking her to task. 'Am I losing my edge? Well, I did push them pretty hard, but damn it, don't they see the threat Fulcrum poses to the nation?' "Okay, what's done is done, nothing can unring the bell. I want a full report on what was included in this update to see if there are any more surprises. We'll review procedures for future updates to make sure this doesn't happen again. Beckman out." She said as she disconnected the call. She still had to resolve this situation before it got any bigger. There is someone she can call about Walker but it's pretty late. 'Well, she wanted to sit in the big Chair' she thought as she reached for the phone. She dialed the number from memory and was surprised when it was picked up on the first ring.

"Hello Dianne." said the person on the other end.

Annoyed at the breach of protocol the General answered "Beckman secure. Hello Mary, how are Ed and the boys? "

"Really Dianne? You called after midnight to ask about my family? I've been expecting your call. You have a big problem. Just how to you piss off Sarah this bad? I wouldn't want to be in your shoes." The new CIA Deputy Director for Operations Mary Pat Foley said, clearly amused.

"I'm glad you find this funny, but I am not amused. I take it Agent Walker called you already. I know she is one of your agents, but she has been placed under my command! Walker has disobeyed my direct orders and made veiled threats towards me. I know very little about her past. The service record is very small for an agent of her caliber. Either she is the most underutilized agent in the history of the CIA or you guys are holding back." Beckman said sternly.

"I checked, and the NSA was sent her "official" service record. Unfortunately, Walker did a lot of "off the books" work for Graham." Mary Pat said with a hint of distain in her voice. "He always did play fast and loose with the rules."

"So the apple doesn't fall far from the tree then? Then is this her normal behavior? She mentioned Graham's "Special Project" files and suggested I read them if I wanted to know what she is really capable of."

"Calm down Dianne, I'm sure we can come to mutually agreeable terms to get you access to those files. How soon can you be at my office?" Mary asked.

Beckman looked at her watch for what seemed like the hundredth time since the video conference with the team in Burbank. "Fine, I don't have much bargaining room so I hope whatever terms you offer will be fair. I can be there in two hours. It looks like it didn't take you long to learn how to play the politics of your new position." She replied.

"Great, I'll see you then. Oh by the way, I want your word that you'll take no action against my agent until after we meet. That would be – messy, and your plate seems pretty full at the moment. We'll discuss the terms when you get here." Mary Pat warned.

"I don't like your tone, but I came to that same conclusion myself. But when this is over, I'm thinking you can have her back. I don't tolerate insolence as well as the CIA does." Beckman shot back.

"We can discuss that when we meet. See you in two hours." Mary said as she disconnected the call.

_'__That's twice I been hung on tonight! I really don't like CIA manners!'_ the tiny general thought.

* * *

**C.I.A. Building**

**Langley, VA **

**0230 EST**

As General Beck walked down the hall towards the Deputy Director of Operations (DDO) office she was talking on her cell phone. "So the asset's tracking still has him at the beach and Agent Walker's cell phone signal is there as well?" she asked. "Very well, if they move let me know." 'At least they're still in Burbank" she thought. _'I still don't know Casey's status. He was last seen entering Castle but Walker cut access to all systems there.'_ When she entered the outer office she notice the door to Mary Pat's office was open. "Hello?" she called out.

"Come on in!" the DDO called out. "Welcome, would you like some coffee? Or would you prefer something a little stronger?" She was pouring coffee into a mug from the coffee maker sitting on the credenza beside her desk.

"Coffee will be fine, for now anyway." Beckman said with a slight smile. _'Might as well play nice, maybe the terms would be as bad.'_ she mused.

The DDO poured coffee into another mug and motioned for Beckman to have a seat in the chair in front of her desk. "Here you go, I have cream and sugar if you need it." Mary said as she handed the General her coffee in a CIA mug. She then took her seat in the high back leather chair taking a sip from her mug.

"No thanks, black is fine." She replied hoping that would be an end to the pleasantries. "So what are your terms?"

"Right to the point I see. Fine, first things first, I need you to sign this non-disclosure agreement." Mary Pat said getting down to business.

"Is that really necessary? I am the Director of the NSA! Only a handful of people, one of them being the President, have a higher clearance than me." She said indignantly.

"I'm afraid it is. There is sensitive information in Sarah's file that I want to make sure stays that way. Innocent civilian lives could be put at grave risk if this information got out." She said grimly. "The CIA has made Sarah sacrifice a lot, but this is one sacrifice that I will damn well do everything I can to make sure she doesn't have to make. This is NOT negotiable!"

General Beckman wanted to argue the point further but realized that it was probably futile and time was working against her so she decided to agree. "Fine, I'll sign, and then we can discuss your other terms."

"Very well, my terms are simple. I want you keep an open mind when you read her file. I also want you to remember when you were her age and think about how you would have reacted if a termination order was put out on a certain suave, debonair CIA agent who has a fondness for martinis." Mary said.

The General bristled internally a little at that reference. She'd tried to keep her private life secret, but spies were the worst gossips. "That's it? What does Walker have on you that you would squander a favor from me on something as trivial as an open mind?" Beckman asked incredulously.

"Read the file and find out for yourself." Mary Pat said with a shrug as she handed the file across the desk.

Taking the offered file, her eyebrows went up at the size of the file. "I was expecting a larger file." Beckman said mildly annoyed at more CIA miserly dispersal of information.

"That is all of it, I assure you. Like I said Graham kept a lot of thing off the books and I'm afraid those things he took to the grave with him. The agents involved in those missions may have pieces of the puzzle but you can be sure that Graham kept them in the dark as to his ultimate objectives. Graham misused these agents and I don't want them held accountable for following seemingly lawful orders. You'll understand once you've read the file. It's a mess I'm trying to clean up." Mary said with a hint of embarrassment in her voice.

Beckman opened the file and the first thing she noticed was the absence of basic personal information. "What the hell is this!" she yelled. "What are you trying to pull? You don't even have her birth date, her birth name; in fact both of her parent's names were missing! You call this cooperation!" Beckman slammed the file on the desk.

"We don't know any of that information. Her father has literally dozens of birth certificates for Sarah and our investigators could figure out which was the real one or for that matter if any were real! I don't think even she knows her real name and birthday. Her parents are in the same boat. Remember Jack Burton is a con man, a really good one as it turns out. All three are ghosts." she said ominously. "But you'll see that if you keep reading." Mary said as she handed the file back to the General.

She took the file from the CIA Director and resumed reading. The background on her parents was sparse. It was as if they suddenly materialized out of nowhere. There was little evidence that the people she knew as her Grandparents were even related to her since there were no records showing they'd had any children let alone a daughter. It was very curious. At some point Jack had separated with his wife and he had sole custody of Samantha/Jenny/Katie/Rebecca and several other aliases for his daughter. After the Jack left his wife he traveled the country pulling cons, often using his daughter as a distraction or worse when she was older. It was no life for a child. Sarah was in and out of dozens of schools before they arrived in San Diego. For some reason they were there for a few years. It may have had something to do with the long term con that Jack was pulling when he got caught. '_Why was the CIA involved in a domestic ATF sting operation? Another missing piece of the puzzle.'_ she thought as she read on. When she got to Sarah's recruitment she blurted out "She was recruited at 17?"

"She may have been younger, remember we don't know when she was born." Mary said sadly.

"I hope it's very hot where Graham is" muttered the general. Mary silently nodded in agreement.

Dianne continued reading about Sarah's training. To say it was unorthodox was a misstatement on the scale of calling the Grand Canyon a ditch. She attended Harvard majoring in foreign languages. She apparently was very gifted and was fluent both in the spoken and written word. She spent summers weekends and holidays learning CIA spy craft. There were vague references that by the time she graduated from Harvard she had actually completed several missions and some of those were solo. Dianne looked for those missions but couldn't find them. Sending her to the CIA training facility know as the Farm was a mere formality. The transcripts show she was a mediocre student finishing the course in the middle of the pack. The curious thing was all of her instructors felt she had been holding back. A smile crept up on her face as she thought '_Smart, very smart. A spy needs to be inconspicuous. Breaking the Farm's records may boost your ego but it does make recognizable. I wonder, how many of her classmates remember her? Not many I'll bet.' _The information during the next few years after graduation was nonexistent. Oh. There were entries about various training sessions as well as her stint in the Secret Service but little else. Even her Red Test was missing. _'Damn strange! What the hell did Graham have her doing?'_ She scowled as she read. She got to the CAT squad era and thought _'What testosterone driven frat boy thought that one up? Really? Clandestine Attack Team Squad? Idiots, wouldn't Clandestine Anti-Terrorism Squad made more sense? I'll bet they made them dress in skin tight leather "cat suits" too chauvinistic pigs! _The next few years were with Larkin, there were a few gaps but not many_. 'Why did the "Wild Card Enforcer" start getting fewer missions? Did she finally get something on Graham? Or did Graham find someone else for his dirty work. More questions.'_ She pondered as she read on. '_Hold on, the mission slowed down after a mission in Moscow.'_ She quickly looked up the mission in question and discovered Sarah was to extract an analyst and his family whose covers got compromised. The mission started out simple enough but then went to hell in a hand basket. The other agent assigned to assist was captured. It turns out it was the analysts wife. When he refused to leave without her Walker broke protocol. She should have tranq'ed him and drug him out. Instead she stuck him in a safe house and went and rescued the agent. The agent had been badly beaten and was unconscious when Sarah got there. On the way out of the detention facility Walker took a bullet to the shoulder. Wounded and dragging the unconscious agent she dispatched the remaining guards and fled to the safe house. Once there she realized she only had credentials for two so she gave hers to the other agent so the couple could escape. It took Sarah two more weeks before she was able to extract herself. Beckman looked up the name of the Analyst and his wife. Her head suddenly shot up and stared open mouthed at the Deputy Director.

"I see you got to the good part" Mary Pat joked. "Sarah got there just before the six interrogators were going to start the "recreation" phase of the process." She said softly.

Dianne visibly shuttered at the thought. It was a female agent's worst fear.

"I left field work after that. I wanted to thank Sarah but when I asked around about her I realized how Art was utilizing her. I approached him and gently reminded him of certain information I knew about him and asked him to get someone else to do his dirty work. Once he knew Ed and I would be looking out for her he gave her more traditional missions." Mary explained.

Dianne didn't trust herself to speak so she merely nodded and went back to reading the file. Walker's last mission before Burbank was shocking. _'Why would Graham send her in with a handler? More to the point why would the Handler need her in the first place? He had a team there already. I wonder if Graham realized what Ryker was up to and was looking to tie up a loose end. It would also explain send Walker to Burbank. Casey was authorized to eliminate her if she proved to be an obstacle to the apprehension of the intersect data. Walker would be isolated from most of the Intelligence Community. Her only regular contacts would be Graham, Casey and myself.'_ When she read further and realized that Sarah was used by Ryker to decrease the odds so he and his men could go in and take the baby. What he didn't expect and rightfully so, was that alone against eleven men, not counting the guards, that Sarah would prevail. '_How in the world could she walk into a room and do that kind of damage? It's a damn good thing I didn't send in the extraction team.' _When she discovered what the package was she realized that her handler was rogue. She went off grid for a few weeks with the baby and when she came back online the baby was gone. She reported on Ryker's betrayal but refused to say where the baby was. Graham speculated that Sarah was still in contact with an unknown relative or possibly her mother. _'There's the innocent civilian lives Mary was talking about.' _She thought back to the reports she read and suddenly it hit her. As cold blooded a killer Walker was towards the bad guys, she was equally self-sacrificing when it came to her safety when an innocent or someone she cared about was in danger. She would do whatever it took to save them. She was – no IS a tireless and unrelenting powerful force of nature in those circumstances. There is no limit to what she will do to protect that innocent person, loved one, friend or even an acquaintance if she truly liked them. She was the ultimate protector. She pondered this as she closed the file.

"I think I understand her a little better now" Dianne said. "Thank You"

"She is something. So can I have her back?" Mary Pat said with a smirk.

"We'll see what happens later today." Dianne smirked back. "I think I'll take that drink now."

* * *

**A/N: **Okay, I borrowed some from the late Tom Clancy. I always liked the Foley's. I kind used a scene from 'The Cardinal of the Kremlin' when Mary Pat was detained by the KGB for my story. I own none of Tom Clancy's characters and make no money from them. I don't know when next chapter will be done, especially since I haven't even started it but I hope to have it up sometime this week.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N:** Okay, I think I set the bar too high on how often I could update this story. Life got busy this Labor Day weekend and I wasn't able to work on the story like I wanted too. Also, I had to rewrite part of the story, twice! First, an overnight automatic reboot wiped out what I had written. I really thought I saved it, but I was wrong! Then a building power failure took it the second time. I didn't save it that time, but I was about to, honestly! So, those two setbacks sapped my will to write for a day or two and then we had to go pick up our son from college to spend the weekend with us (well actually with his girlfriend). Here it is and hopefully I won't make you wait so long for the next. Hope you like it!

On another topic, the reaction to Chapter 4 was phenomenal! I had more reviews and hits the day after it was published than any other. Thanks to you all!

Still own none of the Characters and I have been informed that I only own 50% of my truck. You can guess who owns the other 50% but it rhymes with life or is that the sentence? LOL!

* * *

**Castle**

**Burbank, CA**

**0130 PST**

As Sarah pulled her Porsche in a parking space in front of the Orange Orange she looked over at her curly haired passenger. "Are you okay?" she asked softly.

"What do you say to a guy that was going to kill you? I guess I could ask if he missed me, get it? You know, missed me, like he shot and missed – never mind. Gallows humor was never my strong suit, too dark. I'm more of a slapstick guy or…" he stopped when he heard his name.

"Chuck. I know you're nervous but things will be okay. We talked about this. If you can't get over this you still have options." She said soothingly as she took his hand in hers.

"No, I know. I just need to know if he would've -" Chuck paused and sighed heavily, and then he continued. "I just need hear it from him. Let's go see him."

Sarah squeezed his hand before releasing it and exiting the car. She unlocked the door as Chuck came up beside her and pulled the door open and motioned her in. "Ladies and kick-ass ninja spy girls first." he said with a sad smile on his face.

"Always the gentleman I see." said Sarah as smiled brightly at him. Chuck noticed as Sarah entered the shop that her demeanor changed when she stopped to look around. In full agent mode, she saw nothing out of place and went straight to the monitor on the counter and brought up the surveillance feed of Castle. Agent Walker looked up at Chuck as he moved towards her and in spoke in her agent voice. "Chuck stay there, I need to make sure that General Beckman doesn't have any surprises for us downstairs."

Chuck looked slightly frightened when he saw Agent Walker's face. He then realized that she was "stay in the car mode" so he nodded slowly at her request.

As Agent Walker studied the images on the monitor looking for irregularities she subconsciously pulled her pistol. "It looks clear but stay behind me." the Agent said firmly as she open the secret access panel by the freezer to gain entry to the secret base below. She raised her gun and started down the stairs. Halfway down, she motioned for Chuck to stay where he was while she continued walking down the steps. Once at the bottom, she did a three-sixty scan of the room. Once satisfied there wasn't an immediate threat she put her gun in the small of her back and looked up at Chuck. "It's clear you can come down now." Sarah said with a smile.

'Seriously, the CIA has to have installed some sort of switch! She can go from scary to sweet in nothing flat!' he mused to himself. "Great! You had me worried there for a minute with the while scary agent fa- uh thing going on." he said in a slightly higher voice than normal.

"Sorry, I should said something on the way over here." she said apologetically.

"That's okay, can I watch the videos before seeing – you know?" he asked.

'Crap! I forgot to delete my file! Should I let him see it? Well, he now knows I have feelings for him, what could it hurt? It might actually help him with Casey if he sees that Casey was looking out for me. No more hiding, it's time for more truth. So why does this scare me so much?' Sarah thought before answering. "Sure Chuck, there's a laptop on the desk over there." She said as she pulled the flash drive out of her pocket and handed it to him.

"Thanks. I'll watch, then go see Casey" Chuck replied

"I'm going to go take a shower and freshen up. I'll check in with you when I'm done." She said as she headed towards the locker room.

Chuck inserted the drive into the laptop as he took a seat at the desk. He opened the drive and when the password screen popped up he used his phone to search for Reagan's birthday. Once he had the date he quickly entered it and was granted access to the drive. When it opened, he saw two folders listed labeled with his and Sarah's last names. When he saw hers he paused as he wondered if he should open this one. He looked towards the locker room and decided to go for it. The folder contained a series of .mpg files with dates as file names. He opened each one and was shocked to see Sarah's expression when she looked at him when she thought no one was watching. He was confused, she admitted to caring for him on the beach but the look on her face on the monitor showed much more than simple caring for someone. 'Could Ellie, Bryce and Carina be right? Has she fallen in love with me? Why does Casey have these clips? Is it evidence to give to Beckman so gets Sarah reassigned? Wait; if he wanted that he'd simply let Beckman see the unedited footage. Could Casey be protecting Sarah?' Shaking off the thought, he quickly closed the folder and opened the one with his name. There were four .mpg files. As Sarah did earlier, he watched the videos. The first was him getting the initial order from Beckman, next was Casey missing his picture during target practice. The third was the order from both of their superiors and Casey arguing against the order. Finally, there was the apartment footage. Casey's reaction to the news of the new Intersects destruction was surprising. 'Or is it? I mean Casey installed the cameras so he knew it was being filmed. Can I really trust him? With my history of those close to me betraying me, can I take the chance?' Chuck decided to watch the footage of Sarah and Casey from earlier in the evening. After the clip ended Chuck understood why Casey cut the clips of Sarah out. 'So the question still remains, can I really and truly trust him? No, only one way to know he won't betray us again.' Chuck thought as he closed down the laptop and removed the drive. Sarah returned at that moment and saw he was finished.

"Did you see the files?" she asked tentatively.

"Yes, I saw them all." he said with his brightest smile. Chuck then said the words Sarah feared most "We need talk later." She nodded not trusting herself to speak.

"But first I have a plan on dealing with Casey and I need your help." he said calmly. He then went on to lay his plan to Sarah and she reluctantly agreed it was for the best. She left the conference room and came back shortly and handed Chuck Casey's Sig 226. "Are you sure about this?" she asked, the concern evident in her voice.

"No, I don't want to but it has to be done. I have to be the one." Chuck said sadly as he stuck the gun in the small of his back.

Chuck entered the detention area and went down the short hall to the cell holding Casey. He saw the big guy lying on the cot with his arm over his eyes.

"Hey Casey." Chuck said to the NSA agent.

Hearing Chuck's voice Casey bolted off the cot and stared at the Nerd Herder. "Bartowski." he grunted

"I watched the surveillance footage." Chuck said awkwardly. Casey merely grunted and Chuck continued. "Why Casey? Why save my life all those times only to kill me later?"

"Chuck I've been in the military for a long time. I follow orders even when I don't like them, if it serves the greater good." Casey said softly.

"So killing me is in the greater good?" Chuck asked.

"I thought so then, but not anymore. You are a royal pain in my ass, but you have done more good than half of the agents I've worked with." The Major said matter-of-factly.

"Thank you for that." Chuck said.

"What happens now?" Casey asked.

"Sarah and I talked; we can't have someone on the team we can't trust." Chuck said coldly as he said as pulled out Casey's gun. Casey didn't respond but his eyes widened at the sight of Chuck holding a gun.

"I understand, but it'd be a shame to break up such an effective team." Casey said hopefully. 'Just let the moron shoot straight.' Casey thought as Chuck reached for the controls to open the cell doors.

"There's only one thing you can do to when a friend and partner has betrayed your trust." Chuck said as the door started to open.

"Forgive them…" Chuck said smiling as he handed Casey's gun in his left hand and his right hand extended for a handshake. "…and give them another chance."

The shocked look on Casey's face was priceless. Casey took both the gun and Chucks hand in a firm handshake. "Bartowski, just because we're holding hands doesn't mean we'll be taking warm showers till the wee hours or the morning, ya hear me?" Casey said in his best Eastwood voice as he put stuck his gun in his pants.

"WOW, a movie quote from John Casey? I'll make a nerd of you yet!" Chuck said excitedly until Casey squeezed his hand tighter. "Maybe not!" he gasped in pain.

"You are a moron you know that! You really are too stupid to live. It's a good thing you have Walker and me around to keep your scrawny ass alive! You NEVER give a prisoner a gun! IDIOT!" Casey growled as he headed towards the conference room with his hands in the air.

"WALKER! Do you know what this moron just did! I thought you were watching him!" Casey yelled as he saw Sarah.

"Yup! He gave you your gun back without this." Sarah said smiling as she handed Casey the firing pin from his gun.

Casey lowered his arms and took the firing pin from Sarah. "It was a test?" he asked with a shocked look on his face.

"C'mon Casey, I may be an idiot and a moron but I'm not stupid." Chuck said mockingly.

"One of these days Bartowski!" Casey said with mock menace and a hint of admiration.

"If you boys are done, we need to plan our meeting with Beckman. Chuck, tell Casey your plan." Sarah said. Chuck spent several minutes outlining the plan he and Sarah came up with during the car ride back from the beach.

"So what do you think?" asked Chuck.

"It sounds good if the General goes for it but what is your contingency plan? What if she decides to throw you in a bunker and Walker in jail?

"She wouldn't, would she? What do you suggest" Chuck asked suddenly losing his confidence.

"Wait here, I'll be right back." Casey said as he got up and went to the storage room. He came back pulling two black wheeled duffle bags and two small daypacks over one shoulder. "This is a contingency plan." He said as he handed a red pack to Sarah and a blue one to Chuck. "Inside the daypacks are several Ziploc bags containing new passports, ID's, cash, credit cards, burner phones and a key to a locker in a bus terminal in the city listed on the license. In the locker is a resupply if you have to run again. The duffle bags have clothes weapons, items you can use to change your appearances and anything else I, could think of that you might need on the run."

"Really Casey!" Sarah yelled blushing as she pulled out a large box of condoms from her pack.

"Figured you wear the pants anyway, you should hold on to those. The moron probably wouldn't have one when he needed it otherwise." Casey said with a smirk.

"Wow! You really did think of everything." Chuck said. Sarah shot him a disapproving glance until she saw chuck pull a PSP game system out of his pack. "Sorry." he mumbled.

"Casey, when did you put all of this together?" asked Sarah.

"I've been working on it since the termination order was lifted. I thought they might issue it again. I always follow orders but if I can't find you I can't carry them out, can I? Like I said earlierpartners protect each other." Casey said this like it was no big deal.

Sarah's expression changed as she looked as Casey. She stood up and started to move towards him.

"Walker! Don't you dare! Stay back, I'm warning you!"Casey said backing up as she approached him. His back hit the wall as he ran out of space to get away from her. Sarah put her hands around him and gave her best impression of an Ellie hug that she could.

"Thank you John. I've never had a partner look out for me like you do before." She said softly into his chest.

"Aw Hell!" He gasped as he hugged her back.

"Group hug!" Chucked shouted and ran to join in.

"Now I wish you'd have just shot me. I didn't you were going to torture me!" he growled. "Are we done with the damn lady feelings now? We have a pissed off General to deal with and not have all of us end up in a dark hole somewhere."

"I'll call Mary Pat and set up the meeting when we're finished planning our next move." Sarah said as the group hug broke up.

* * *

**CIA Building**

**Langley, VA**

**430 EST**

"That's not bad Scotch." Dianne said after taking a drink from her mug.

"Glad you like It." replied Mary. "Mind if I ask you a question?"

"Why stop now?" Beckman joked. "Sure go ahead."

"I watch the briefings you give the team and I don't understand your attitude towards Bartowski. What did he do that has you treat him this way?" the DDO asked.

"Are you serious? He is a MAJOR pain in my ass! I can't figure him out. He doesn't take things seriously, he's a slacker who's wasting his abilities in a dead end job, he's impudent and disrespectful, he's driven by his emotions, and he never listens to his handlers. I even suspect that, not only has he compromised Walker, but somehow how the nerd has gotten her to fall in love with him. Hell, even Casey seemed compromised when I gave him the order. But you know what irks me the most about him? It's that somehow, in spite of breaking all the rules and regulations and going off script, he gets the job done. It's infuriating! Once he screwed up a simple snatch and grab of a Chinese agent only to turn her later. You know how he did it? Not through blackmail or threats or torture, but by befriending her and saving her brother! Who does that! Oh, and in his latest escapade, he saved us from a potential nuclear fraking war by playing a video game!" she exclaimed as she took another drink.

"Fraking?" Mary asked, as her eyebrow rose.

"Yeah, I had to look that one up after he told me to frak off. Apparently it's from a sci-fi TV show from the 70's and a recent remake; it was their way of swearing during primetime." Dianne explained.

Mary laughed at the thought of him saying that to Beckman. "Oh I know what it is; I have two boys who watch it. I was just surprised to hear you use it. Apparently, Bartowski has gotten to you as well." Mary Pat smirked.

"You take that back! He has not gotten to me!" she said indignantly._ "_I just wish he could be more like his mother! Now there was an agent!" she sighed nostalgically.

"Still no leads about her?" Mary asked softly remembering the story of Beckman's best friend.

"No. It's been twenty years. I doubt she can be found, if she's even still alive." she said wearily. "I guess that's another reason I keep him at arm's length. Losing one Bartowski in was hard enough."

"So why did you give the termination order on your friend's son?" Mary asked quietly.

"Graham first suggested it, when I was against it, he accused me of being compromised because of Mary and said that maybe the Intersect should be a CIA run project. I couldn't appear weak and let him be in control of the new Intersect so I went along with it. It's not easy being one of the few girls allowed in the boys club. Besides, if Fulcrum did capture him he'd wish he was dead." her voice seemed strained at the thought of his capture.

"What happens next?" asked Mary.

"I guess that depends on Bartowski and Walker. I am still the Director and they do answer to me. I can't let this behavior stand, no matter how I feel personally. There is a price to be paid for insubordination." Brigadier General Dianne Beckman, NSA Director said coldly.

Just then Mary's phone rang.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N:** Thanks for the reviews! I can't believe this little story has hit 4000 views! Don't worry, my ego is being held in check by the fact my other story was posted two days later than this one and has a whopping 53 views. Eh, you win some you lose some, LOL!

Sorry for the delay, I've had a busy week. I also have struggled a little with this chapter. I couldn't seem to get the right balance between Dianne the woman and Beckman the General. She was either too bitchy or too soft. Hopefully, I succeeded.

It was also suggested that I get a Beta. I agree that this would probably improve the story; however I am a little worried that the end product won't be my vision. Good or bad the story so far is headed in the general direction I wanted when I started this. I'm asking you, do I need a Beta? Don't be afraid to hurt my feelings, I really want to put out the best story that I can in the quickest manner possible and I fear using a beta will slow the process down. Do you think I'm sacrificing quality for speed (well not that this chapter came out quickly)? Let know what I can do to improve. Thanks!

Also when I uploaded this the line tool I use inbeween location changes isn't on the toolbar so I'm using X's.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

**CIA Building**

**Langley, VA**

**0500 EST**

"Hello, Mary Pat speaking" said the CIA Deputy Director as she answered her cell phone.

"Hi, it's Sarah. Has General Beckman contacted you yet?" the blonde agent asked.

"Yes she has. In fact she is in my office sitting across from me now." Mary answered. "Do you want me to put you on speaker?"

"Sure, I'd like you both to hear this." Sarah said, her voice suddenly becoming clipped and businesslike.

"Okay Agent Walker, you're on speaker with the two of us." said Mary picking up on the change in Sarah's demeanor.

_'__Here we go, time to be "The General", I hope this works.'_ thought Dianne.

"Agent Walker where is Major Casey?"" Beckman said, hoping to quickly take the initiative.

"Major Casey is unharmed; he is in one of the detention cells here in Castle. I think it's the best place for him at the moment." the Enforcer stated flatly.

"You have the Asset?" Beckman asked.

"Who?" Agent Walker answered curtly.

The NSA Director sighed heavily after remembering their last conversation and tried again "Where is Mr. Bartowski?"

"Oh, you mean CHUCK! Chuck is here with me. Isn't the NSA Watch Officer proving you with hourly reports? It is protocol in these situations you know." Agent Walker smirked.

"Yes, I'm getting the reports. Is the As- I mean Chuck, in custody?" Beckman asked trying a different tact.

"No Ma'am, why would he be in custody? I'm unaware of CHUCK breaking any state or federal laws, such as conspiracy to commit murder, attempted murder, kidnapping and false imprisonment of an innocent US citizen or broken the many other laws that go along with that sort of thing. Are you aware of any transgressions of this nature?" Agent Walker said matter-of-factly.

"Okay Sarah, you've made your point. How is Chuck doing?" Mary Pat said trying to get the conversation back on track.

"Not good. He just found out that his government tried to kill him. I found him on the beach with a half empty bottle of booze. I'm going to take him to my hotel room so he can sleep it off." Sarah said to her CIA boss.

"That's out of the question!" snapped Beckman. "Put him in a holding cell until he's sobered up."

"General in his current state, he won't go near a detention cell given what he learned earlier. You know, the termination order you and Graham issued on him. I can't take him to his place without risking his cover with his sister." Agent Walker said coolly. "Also, in light of Chuck's recent revelation he wants a meeting today to discuss his future cooperation with the intersect project. Quite frankly, I'd be surprised if he still wants to cooperate with us. I'm sure I wouldn't if I were in his shoes."

"CHUCK WANTS A MEETING? Assets don't schedule meetings!" Beckman said clearly exasperated.

Then the General looked incredulously at Mary who nodded, indicating the she should agree to the meeting.

"Very well, the meeting will be in three hours!" Beckman said once again trying to win the tug-of-war with Walker.

"Sorry, but yesterday was a busy day for Chuck. Besides working a full shift at the Buy More, the intersect update, learning of the government's deception and betrayal and finally, the booze, I really can't see this happening until he was sufficiently recovered. Say 1500 your time?" the Enforcer stated.

"THAT'S TEN HOURS FROM NOW!" yelled Beckman.

"You don't think that's long enough for Chuck to rest? We can make it later if you wish, say -" Agent Walker said as Beckman cut her off.

"NO! No, 1500 will be fine. Will there be anything else Agent Walker?" Dianne said resignedly.

"Well, now that you mention it there are a few more minor items, first, I want DDO Foley and her Husband, the Deputy Director for Intelligence to attend the briefing, to act as mediators." Walker said firmly.

"No, absolutely not! I am in charge of the Intersect program and you three report to me!" stormed Beckman.

"Would you rather we ask for the Attorney General? Or should we hold a press conference?" the Wild Card Enforcer said icily through gritted teeth.

"Okay, calm down everyone! First of all, Sarah there will be NO press conference! Am I clear on that?" DDO Foley asked firmly.

"Yes Ma'am." replied Sarah contritely.

"Good" Mary replied. She saw the smug look on the General's face and continued. "And Ed and I will be act as mediators at the briefing. You may be in charge Dianne but it is still a JOINT project and Agent Walker does draw a paycheck from the CIA which means Ed and I have a vested interest in this. Am I clear or do I have to call our boss on Pennsylvania Avenue?"

"Fine, you and Ed can patch in from here." Beckman said in a faux defeated tone.

Seeing through Beckman's ruse, Mary countered "No thanks. Ed and I will come to your office, I'd hate for technical difficulties to interfere with our participation in the meeting. What else did you want Sarah?"

"Thank you. Lastly, no government or civilian tactical teams are to be sent to capture anyone associated with the Intersect project or their friends and family for the next 24 hours." Walker said.

Sighing deeply at how bad this call went, Beckman dejectedly asked. "Is that all that you require now Agent Walker? Are you sure you don't want me to provide lunch for your team as well?"

"Actually, that sounds lovely. I'll order it and put it on the NSA account. Thank you very much for your thoughtfulness! It'll mean a lot to Chuck." Sarah said sweetly. "See you both at 1500. Walker out."

"Well that could have gone better." said the General disgustedly.

"Ya think?" Mary said sarcastically.

"Do you always let your agents act like that towards their superiors?" Dianne said angrily.

"Not all, only the ones who've saved my life, not to mention the saved world a few times. It's called gratitude, you should try it sometime!" Mary snapped.

"I'm her superior! She can't get away with talking to me like that!" Beckman yelled.

"What did you expect? You immediately tried to gain the upper hand to prove whose was bigger. What the hell were you thinking! You better get hold of your ego of you are going to lose this big time!" Mary spat

"Oh please, I've been doing this for thirty years. I know how to handle agents who are too big for their britches." She scoffed.

"Have you forgotten her file already? If you aren't REAL careful she'll take Chuck and go off grid and you will NEVER see them again. She's been running and hiding since she was six! Her father taught her how to create and shed cover ID's before he taught her to ride a bike! What will THAT do to your career, to this nation? You've turned this into something personal and are losing sight of the big picture!" Mary practically shouted.

"We could use Bartowski's family as leverage." Beckman said.

"MY GOD! Will you listen to yourself! Dianne, YOU have family too! You know how much his sister means to him. Additionally, if you are right and Sarah is in love with him, what would she do to someone who caused the man she loves pain? Also, how much does Sarah like his sister? You know the one who raised him since she was a teenager. Who treats Sarah like family, the first family she's had since leaving her mother? Think about what she does to save people she doesn't even know, what will Sarah to for someone she loves?" Mary said, hoping to get through to the NSA Director. "Think about what you are contemplating doing to your friend's children." Mary Pat said softly as she put a hand on Dianne's shoulder.

The tiny general's eyes softened as she answered. "It's hard for me, I'm a General in the US Air Force I'm used to giving orders and having them followed. I don't handle subordinates who disobey me very well.

"All I'm asking is that you realize concessions will have to be made by all involved to resolve this thing." Mary Pat said soothingly.

General Beckman nodded, and then she drained the last of the Scotch from her mug then said "Okay, you win, I'll listen to what Chuck has to say, but no promises."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

**Castle**

Burbank, CA

0200 PST

They finished discussing the plan for the meeting with General Beckman later in the day so Sarah left to make the phone call to her boss at the CIA. Chuck and Casey sat at the conference table looking at each other neither on wanting to be first to break the uncomfortable silence.

"Sooo, sorry for taking the firing pin out of your gun, but I had to be sure that I wasn't wrong about you." Chuck said uneasily.

"It was a smart play, didn't know you had it in you. Guess you are learning something from us after all." Casey replied.

Chuck smiled weakly. Casey noticed that Chuck had something else on his mind.

"Okay Moron, get whatever is bothering you off your chest." Casey growled softly.

"I - um - watched the recorded feed of Sarah talking to you when she locked you in." Chuck said hesitantly. "Did you mean it when you said you weren't sure if you would've pulled the trigger?"

Casey exhaled slowly. "Chuck, I have never given a termination order a second thought before. It was always just a job, no feelings, no regrets and no remorse. All the guys I capped over the years were some sort of traitor, criminal or just a plain old scumbag. Then I received yours. You don't fit into any of those categories. I've seen fully trained agents piss themselves with fear doing a lot less dangerous stuff than I've seen you do. You shouldn't be rewarded for that kind of dedication and honor with a bullet. I honestly can't say for sure what I'd have done that night. At the time I wasn't sure what bothered me more, killing you or disobeying an order. I was relieved when it was rescinded, I knew then I couldn't do it if ordered to again." Casey said softly.

"So that's why you built the "contingency" plan? So you wouldn't have to do it?" Chuck asked.

"Yeah, that's the main reason but there are other reasons too. Look, we don't know how high up the chain Fulcrum has infiltrated. I figured that there is a possibility that the next order could be bogus or they'd find out about you and send a hit team. You don't deserve to be offed, by us and especially not by some Fulcrum pantywaist." Casey explained.

"Why are there only kits for Sarah and me? What about you?" Chuck asked.

"My job is to stay back and run the recovery operation and try to mislead them long enough for you and Walker to get far enough away to have a chance." Casey said with a shrug. "Besides the idea of being around watching you try to dip your chocolate in her peanut butter makes prison look good."

"Wow, how can you make something beautiful sound gross, I mean - Sarah's not gross but making lo- never mind, but seriously, eww. Anyway, thanks for talking to me, even though I forgive you; I can still see the image of you with the gun pretty clearly. It's - disturbing, so if I seem nervous around you sometimes it's because the memory flashed again. I'm sure it'll go away eventually but I'm afraid it may take awhile." Chuck said.

"I understand. I know that trust isn't an easy thing to earn back once you've betrayed that trust. But just so you know, I'll still be there to catch you when you fall. Now, if we're done with the lady feelings. I have put my favorite gun back together." Casey said as he got up.

Just as Casey started walking towards the armory, Sarah entered the conference room.

"AAARRRRGGH! That red-headed little shrew makes me so mad!" Sarah growled as she grabbed one of her knives and threw it at a picture of the General she had taped to wall after their first conversation. The blade hit the space between Beckman's eyes. There was evidence of earlier throws at the Generals image.

"Nice throw Walker, but this ain't the Dirty Dozen so killing Generals isn't allowed." Casey said sarcastically.

"Well, I take it things didn't go as smoothly as we were hoping?" Chuck asked carefully.

"She so damn busy trying to get the upper hand that she doesn't realize what's at stake here. Quite frankly I'm worried that she's willing to cut off her nose to spite her face by breaking up the team or sticking you in a bunker and me in jail." Sarah said dejectedly. "We may need to go to plan B, or be prepared to use Casey's contingency plan."

"Darn, I was hope this would be easy. But yeah, I agree with you, going with plan B is probably the best option. It's a good idea to play it safe and put the pieces in play for the contingency." Chuck said sadly. "I've already got things set up for the video conference."

"Don't worry Chuck, there's still a chance that she'll be reasonable. Let's go get some sleep, and start fresh in the morning." Sarah said.

"You two go ahead; I'll start putting the other parts of the plan in place. We'll talk an hour before the briefing to go over any last minute details." Casey said.

"Sounds good, you ready to go Chuck? Sarah asked as she grabbed the bag she'd brought earlier, when she planned to spend the night in Castle looking out for Chuck after his update.

"Yeah, let me get my backpack and I'll meet you upstairs." Chuck said to Sarah as she started up the stairs.

Chuck went to his locker and got his pack. He headed back to the conference room and found Casey loading gear into duffle bags.

"John" Chuck said hesitantly. "If this goes bad, I wanted to thank you for not – you know, killing me. With any luck, we'll still be a team tomorrow and not in prison."

"Good Luck Chuck." Casey grunted and turned away quickly so Chuck couldn't see the effects the airborne allergens were having on his eyes.

Chuck turned and headed upstairs to meet Sarah. Sarah was standing by the surveillance monitor with damp eyes and a smile.

'Even NSA Cold School Killer, John Casey. I'm glad Chuck is on our side. God help us if he were to use his superpowers for evil.' She thought as she watched him come through the door.

"All Right Sarah, no turning back now, let's do this." Chuck said as he smiled his biggest and brightest smile.

'Definitely glad he's on my – our side.' Sarah thought as she smiled back.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N:** I am so sorry for the delay! I haven't had the spare time to spend on this and when I did this chapter kicked my butt! I started, modified and deleted it several times before I found the direction I wanted it to go in. I hope I got right for you guys! It's crazy some of my favorite authors are reading my story and it kind of freaked me out (the added pressure was brutal!). This has done so much better than I thought it would (I have nearly 6.5K views and 70 reviews) thanks to you guys! There are so many good new stories out there and some old favorites, stories that is not the writers, are updating again (can anyone say Kate McK, )! Please, read their stuff! I'm still flying solo so all mistakes are mine. Please let me know where they are and I'll try and fix them. How is that for a cheap way to ask for a review? Still own none of the Characters and 50% of my truck. LOL!

Huh, I'm having some wierd formatting issues uploading this. Hope it looks ok.

**Chapter 7  
Burbank, CA**

0300 PST

Chuck exited the Orange Orange and followed Sarah to the vehicle. Sarah put her stuff in the trunk and waited for Chuck to throw his things in as well. She then opened her door and slid behind the wheel. He got in and closed his door. Looking over at his beautiful driver he smiles and quotes from one of his favorite comedies.

"It's 106 miles to Chicago. We got a full tank of gas, half a pack of cigarettes. It's dark and we're wearing sunglasses."

The blonde spy looks confused then smiles "Hit it!"

The shocked look on Chuck's face was priceless. "Sarah! You've seen Blues Brothers?" he gasped.

"It was one my Father's favorite movies, well that and Paper Moon," Sarah said, suddenly realizing what she let slip out.

Chuck froze realizing that Sarah had just shared something personal about herself. Deciding not to make a big deal out of it and to let it pass he said "You know Carrie Fisher AKA Princess Leia was in Blues Brothers?"

"Really? What part did she play?" Sarah asked, grateful that Chuck didn't comment on her slip.

"Jake's girlfriend, you know the one with the guns and rocket launcher. Kind of scary having a girlfriend who knows how to use automatic weapons…" he said as his voice trailed off.

"Let that be a lesson to you. Hell hath no fury like a girlfriend with a bazooka," she teased menacingly.

"Yeah, point taken. Ah, about that. Sarah could we talk about the videos now?" he asked hesitantly.

_'__Here we go. How do I handle this? I already let it slip that I have feelings for him. But the look on my face in the videos shows how deep those feelings run. I've taken down despots, tyrants, and terrorists, fearlessly but I'm afraid of one tall curly haired hazel eyed nerd. Big Bad Sarah Walker Wild Card Enforcer my ass! World's biggest coward is more like it! Oh Agent Walker, how the mighty have fallen. It's time to face the music,'_ she thought before answering.

"I'm not sure if this is the best time," she said with a slight panic in her voice.

"Sarah, if tomorrow goes badly and we have to use Casey's contingency plan, it could be a while before we have the time. You'll be giving up everything. Your job, the life you've built for yourself and even your freedom if you get caught. It's too much for me to ask of a friend. I can't let you sacrifice everything without knowing where we stand," he said softly.

"Chuck, it's my job to protect you, and I promise I will. I'll get you through this," she said trying to reassure him.

His heavy sigh nearly broke her heart. _'I'm doing it yet again! Damn it! When will I stop hurting this wonderful man?'_ she thought before speaking again.

"No, that's not true. Well, it's true but it's not a complete statement," She reached and grabbed Chuck's hand and interlaced her fingers with his. "It is my job to protect you but it stopped being purely for professional reasons a long time ago. I really do - AAAAHHHHH! Why am I so bad at this! I have told lots of bad people I love them in order to accomplish the mission but I can't say it to the ONE person who needs to hear it, who I want say it to more than anything! Hell, everyone who has seen me sneak a look at you when I thought no one was watching knows how I feel, why can't I tell you that I love you! It's just three little words I. Love. You. They're not even very big or complicated words. I love you, I love you. See not hard at all but as soon as I look at you, my heart skips a beat, I stop breathing and the words 'I love you' stick in my throat. Why can't I say that I love Chuck Bartowski? I just can't say it Chuck and I'm so sorry. What are you smiling at? I just told that I can't tell you that I love you," She said exasperatedly.

Chuck had his biggest smile that he'd ever had. "Sarah by my count you just said I love you at least five times but I may have missed one or two. By the way, I love you too."

"Wh- I did?" she stammered. "I said it? I did. I. Said .It. I love Chuck. I love Chuck Bartowski! Oh my god! I've been so afraid of – wait, did you say you love me?"

"Sarah, you're freaking out. Yes, I love you. I have loved you for a long time," he said as rubbed his thumb across the back of her hand. "And suddenly tomorrow doesn't seem as scary. We'll get through it. Together."

She looked at him and finally looked him in the eyes with the look that others had seen and she saw his face light up like she had never seen before. _'Oh crap! As if his smile before wasn't dangerous enough! I'm in trouble, BIG TIME!'_

They pulled in the hotel parking garage a few minutes later. Sarah parked beside an SUV with a cover over it. Sarah got out and started taking the cover off.

"Uh, Sarah what are you doing?" Chuck said confused.

"Help me with the cover. We're not going to stay here at the hotel. We're going to my safe house, don't worry no one knows about it. We have to switch vehicles. Casey's not the only one with a contingency plan," she said with a grin.

Chuck helped get the cover off of a green and tan 2001 Ford Explorer Eddie Bauer Edition 4x4.

"A Ford?" Chuck asked.

"You don't like Fords? Casey will be crushed," She laughed.

"No, I just pictured you more of a Mercedes or Land Rover kind of girl," he said smiling at her.

"Well the goal is to blend in and have you seen how many of these are on the road?" She asked with her eyebrow raised. "Now let's get the stuff out of the car into the SUV." She ordered.

"Sheesh, tell a girl you love them and they get all bossy!" he said with a gleam in his eye.

"Hmm, I think I was bossy before that, you just didn't listen as well," she teased back at him.

Once they had the SUV loaded Sarah turned to Chuck and said "I'm going to need you to lie down in the back and stay out of sight until we get out of the city and away from all the traffic cameras. I'll be wearing a disguise so no one will recognize me."

She then put on a pair of glasses, a brown wig and a fake beard along with an Army desert camo field jacket.

Chuck stared at her dumbfounded. "Please don't wear that on our honeymoon." He looked at her curiously when saw her frozen deer-in-the-headlight expression. His eyes got wide then he realized what he said. "I mean if we ever, you know for a mish, or – I'm going to try and shut up now."

Sarah saw his reaction and started laughing. Soon he joined in as well. She went to kiss him and was surprised when he pulled away. "Um, yeah I'm really not into the bearded lady thing. Could I get a rain check?"

"Chuck, shut up and kiss me!" she commanded.

**Beckman's residence**

**0600 EST**

General Beckman had arrived at her home thirty minutes earlier and was now sitting in front of her computer on her desk. She'd just send out several emails to her staff alerting them to the fact that she would be in late and to adjust her schedule accordingly and to add the video conference at 1500.

_'__How did things get to this point? What could I have done to prevent all of this and more importantly how do I 'fix it' as Walker had suggested?' _she pondered as she reflected on the events of the last twelve hours.

_'__If only I had someone other than Walker's protectors, the Foley's to talk to about this to get a fresh perspective. Hmmm, he just might still be awake,' _she thought as she reached for her phone.

"Dianne! What a wonderful surprise! To what do I owe the honor of your call? Let me guess, couldn't sleep because you were thinking about my 'debriefing' a few weeks ago," the man said seductively.

"Hardly, Roan. Are you secure? More importantly are you alone? I swear Roan you CIA types really have a hard time with proper communication protocols!" Dianne said briskly.

"Oh fine, if it's one of those calls, I'll play along. Montgomery secure and alone, and more's the pity. Of course, if you're nearby we could remedy that little problem," he smirked.

"Sorry, I'm still in DC. I just needed to talk to someone. It's been one of those days and I could use a friendly voice," she said tiredly.

"Of course Mon Général, anything I can help with?" he said with more than a little concern in his voice.

"Does your phone have an encryption feature installed?" she asked?

"Why yes it does as a matter of fact. That analyst you had me work with set it up for me. Such a clever – oh what was the word he used to describe himself? Oh yeah, nerd. The interesting thing was he's actually proud of that title. Oh and so passionate! It's always the quiet ones. That kiss between him and -" Roan said as General Beckman cut him off.

"ROAN! Initiate the encryption now please," Dianne said exasperated at Roan's musings.

"Your wish is my command." He said as he entered the sequence on digits that would make if difficult if not downright impossible for their conversation to be monitored. "Better?"

"Much better, now what were you saying about Mr. Carmichael and a kiss? Is there something you need to tell me Roan? It seems a little late in the game for you to switch teams, don't you think?" she said teasingly.

"Very funny Dianne, but I think we settled my preferences in great detail at our last meeting. I was referring to the kiss between him and agent Walker. At first I wasn't sure if he had even been with a woman before and out of the blue he grabbed her and kissed her with such intense passion that she had to leave the room to fix her lipstick and I'm not even sure she was wearing any," he explained.

"Interesting, why wasn't this in your report?" she asked.

"It wasn't relevant; it was just a training exercise. Why all the interest in Mr. Carmichael?" the legendary spy asked.

"He is the problem I was referring to. Roan, I made an error in judgment and now the chickens have come home to roost. Unfortunately, in an effort to get control of the situation I may have backed myself into a corner and can't see a way out," she said dejectedly.

"Start from the beginning and let's see if it's as bad as it seems," He said trying to reassure her.

"I can't let you in on the details but suffice to say, Bar- Carmichael is an asset who had information we needed and about a month ago an alternate source was discovered and his usefulness had come to an end." she said quietly.

"You issued a termination order on the nerd?" he asked incredulously.

"It's not quite that simple unfortunately. Graham played me and I fell for it hook line and sinker. It was his idea and when I resisted, he accused me of being compromised," she answered.

"Compromised? With the nerd? Picking them kind of young aren't you?" he teased.

"Don't be ridiculous! I know his mother and so do you. In fact you know her very well," Beckman snarled.

"Well my dear, I'm afraid you'll have to be more specific," he said smiling into the phone.

"His mother is Mary Elizabeth," She so softly that Roan barely heard it.

"WHAT! You put a termination order on her son! What were you thinking?" he said loudly.

"Graham was going to use the fact that I knew Mary against me. He was trying to show that I was too weak and soft to make the hard decisions. I was so mad that I issued the order before he could so I would have the leverage to take control of the joint project we were working on. That project would make the asset expendable. It was later that I realized he didn't want the blood on his hands and because of my impulsive decision he could claim that he was following my lead. The ironic part is that the project was sabotaged and Graham was killed. The termination order was rescinded literally seconds before it was carried out. I dodged a bullet, or so I thought. Last night Carmichael was inadvertently given information about the order," she explained slowly.

"How did he take it? Or better yet how did she?" Roan asked.

"About like you'd expect. He ran off to think. When I ordered Walker to secure him she disobeyed and all but threatened me," she said with a heavy sigh.

"Trust me Dianne, if Sarah Walker really threatened you, you'd know it," Roan said.

"I'm a General and can't have my subordinates disobey me!" Dianne said.

"Dianne, how many people know of this?" Roan asked.

"Just the Foley's, you, me and Walker," She answered.

"So what's the problem? The Foley's won't say anything out of a sense of loyalty to Walker for the Moscow incident. I'm sure you won't be telling this story to anyone. I probably won't remember it when I wake up. Walker won't say anything if you make it right with the nerd. In fact, if I read her correctly, she may feel that she owes you for taking care of him."

"So you think she's compromised?" she asked.

"Compromised? As his protector, she is most certainly not. She will walk through hell to protect him. For that matter so would he. But if you want her to be his executioner, then yeah she's compromised," Roan answered softly.

"Damn it Roan! Why wasn't that in your report?" Dianne spat angrily.

"Dianne, the NSA is a military organization. You guys see fraternization differently than we do at the CIA. I thought he was an analyst not an asset. Why isn't he working for us anyway? The nerd's got chutzpah; he'd be a good field analyst," Roan said defensively.

"Hmm, that could solve a few issues and keep the team together. Provided he'll still work with Casey," she pondered.

"Let me guess, the grunting one was tasked with the termination order," Montgomery said.

"Yes, and I'm still not sure of his status. Walker locked him in one of the cells. If she hasn't killed him this idea of yours might work. Thanks for listening Roan. I owe you one," Dianne said gratefully.

"One what my dear?" Roan said in his best seductive voice.

"When you get to D.C. again, I'll leave it up to you," she purred.

**Blue Jay CA**

**0500 PST**

They had left the bright city lights behind an hour ago and currently were on a side road. Chuck was in the front seat.

"Where are we headed and more importantly when are you going to shave?" he said with a laugh.

"I have a small cabin here in Blue Jay. We're near Lake Arrowhead. It's semi-secluded, but we'll blend in without seeming out of place. If we have to run I've got more gear there that'll help us," Sarah said. "We should be there in a few minutes, then I'll shave and we can get some sleep."

Chuck nodded and tried to put the meeting with Beckman out of his mind. He took her hand in his and just enjoyed the ride.

They arrived at the cabin and unloaded the vehicle carrying their bags to the front door. Sarah unlocked the door and went in dropping her stuff on one of the two couches in the living room. "Wow this is very cozy! Very Ponderosa," Chuck said as he took in the interior of the cabin.

The 480 sq. ft. cabin had one room on the main level with vaulted ceilings. The stone fireplace was in the middle of the back wall with the couches on either side of it facing each other. There were two doorways on the far end, the one on the left was the bathroom and the other led into the kitchen. The walls had pine paneling and ceiling was pine boards with exposed rafters. Above the kitchen and bathroom was a loft bedroom.

"Sorry about the size, I bought this place several years ago and thought if I'd ever need it I'd be by myself," she said apologetically.

"No, it's great! All it needs is a big screen and couple of game consoles and it'd be just like home," he said smiling.

"Nerd!" she said laughing.

"And that surprises you?" he smirked. "Okay, you get the bathroom so you can shave because that beard is really freaking me out. I'm beat, where's my bedroom?"

"Ah yeah, about that. This is a one bedroom cabin. We'll have to share the bedroom," she said unapologetically with a wink.

"Seriously, lose the beard before giving a look like that again. I'm not sure I'll ever be able to look at Morgan the same way again." He said as he did a whole body shiver.

Sarah laughed loudly and picked up her bag and went into the bathroom.

Chuck made sure the doors and windows were locked, grabbed his bag and went up to the bedroom. He quickly took off his shoes and pants then changed into a clean tee shirt and crawled into bed. He heard the bathroom door open and Sarah coming up the steps. When she got to the top it was like all the air in the room was sucked out. Sarah was wearing one of Chuck's Stanford shirts and a pair of cotton panties. Seeing the look on his face made her blush slightly.

Suddenly able to breathe again Chuck said "So that's where that shirt went. I was wondering."

"Oh, do you want it back?" she said as her hands went to the hem and slowly started to pull up.

"NO! I mean yes! Wait! I don't need it back this very second. Maybe later, well not today later but -. You know what, never mind, keep it. It NEVER looked as good on me as it does you. I mean, wow you are beautiful, especially without the beard. I'm going to stop talking now," he said very flabbergasted.

"You are so easy to tease!" Sarah laughed and said she crawled into the bed.

"Really? Maybe I SHOULD ask for it back," he said teasingly.

"Be careful what you ask for, you just may get It," she said seductively her face inches from his ear.

"Uh, well, I mean, ah, that's, what I meant -" he stuttered.

"Goodnight Chuck!" she said as she giggled.

"That's just mean! Oh you are so going to pay for that Agent Walker. You will rue the day! Trust me there is some serious rueage coming your way!" Chuck laughed.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N:** This update has taken longer than I had hoped. No issues with the stories this time, just not able to find the time to sit and write. Okay, that's not entirely true. I was getting my truck serviced a few weeks ago and was looking to kill some time and started reading quistie64's Sound of Music and I couldn't stop until I'd read all 5 stories totaling 650,671 words. This is on top of all the other great stories that have been published in the last month, and man there've been some great ones! If you are looking to let some serious lady feelings out read "Chuck vs The Revenge", it is so well written (Warning! Must have Kleenex nearby, it really stirred up my allergies) but it is definitely an emotional ride! There are several other really good new stories out there so just search for the newer Chuck stories and give them a try!

My last chapter had over 1200 views within three days of posting it. You guys are awesome! This chapter has some Charah goodness and finally the meeting between Chuck and the General. I still have more after this one but I don't know how much more. It can go either way. Let me know what you think.

It's inconceivable, but I still own nothing not even one of top five the most passionate kisses. I am pretty sure my wife and I hold number seven. Well, maybe not seven but we have to be somewhere between there and number ten.

Still no Beta which means all mistakes are mine. Please leave a review. I read and reply to them all and if I didn't reply to yours we'll blame on my advancing age and forgetfulness.

**Chapter 8**

**Blue Jay, CA**

**Cabin**

**1030 PST**

The mid-morning sunlight entered the loft bedroom shining on two sleeping figures so entwined together that they could pass for one. The blonde stirred with a sleepy smile on her face as nestled deeper into the chest of her sleeping companion.

_'__Hmm, this pillow is so warm and comfortable,' _she thought sleepily. She twitched her nose as something tickled her.

She moved her hand to rub her nose to remove the offending substance. As she moved her hand across a man's chest she realized it was hair that was tickling her nose, chest hair to more precise.

_'__What the hell! Where am I? Who is in bed with me, and am I snuggling? I never snuggle! Not even with Bryce_,' she thought slightly confused at her current situation.

Slowly raising her head slightly and looking at the person she was snug- laying beside she suddenly remembered the what, where and who of her current situation. After taking in her surroundings she settled back to her previous position with a heavy sigh.

_'__So I snuggle now, big deal! WOW! I'm actually snuggling and I like it! No, that's not true. I'm snuggling and I love it! More precisely, I'm snuggling with Chuck and I LOVE IT!'_ she thought as she smiled a smile that could challenge the Sun in a brightness contest.

"Penny for your thoughts," Chuck asked quietly as he kissed the top of her head.

"Good morning, how'd you sleep?" she asked trying to avoid his question as she shifted her position to look up at his face.

"Good, but you'll have to do better than that to avoid telling what you were thinking about," he said with one of his patented grins.

_'__Oh damn! Those grins will be the death of me,'_ she thought in a panic.

"I'm not sure I should tell you, I mean I don't want to ruin this morning," she stammered.

"Sarah, I promise you after hearing that you love me that nothing you say can ruin this morning. Remember, we're in this together now and we need to talk to each other, even when it's uncomfortable," he said reassuringly.

"Please don't get mad but I was thinking about snuggling and Bryce," she blurted out.

"Oh, I see," Chuck said sadly.

"No, wait, you don't understand. When I woke up snuggling with you it scared me. I don't usually, I mean I never snuggle. And I was thinking how I never snuggled with Bryce, and this morning I was so warm and comfortable and I never snuggle, until now. With you," she said hurriedly afraid that she'd hurt him once again.

She looked up at him with fearful eyes that were just starting to tear up. The look of hurt, pain and anguish she'd expected to see wasn't there. Instead there was a look of unadulterated love and the biggest fullest Chuck Bartowski smile she'd ever seen.

"You never snuggled before? Not even with Bryce? You mean I finally beat him at something?" Chuck said smugly.

Sarah's tears and fears evaporated from the heat generated by that smile. Sarah rolled on top of him and straddled him and kissed him for all she was worth. Since the invention of the kiss, there have been five kisses that have been rated the most passionate, the most pure - this one left them all behind.

Pulling away breathless and flush with desire she said panting "I am so going to kill Morgan Grimes when I see him!"

"Well, not that he doesn't deserve it, but if you do that, you will go to prison and then we still won't get to, you know," Chuck said as he tried to catch his breath.

Frustrated, Sarah rolled off and let out a long breath. "Chuck, it's been nearly two years for me! Last night was finally our time! Who does that? I mean what kind of friend steals a condom! Can I at least give him a limp or a scar?" she growled.

Chuck laughed and kissed her lightly on the lips and said, "Come on, let's get up and get something to eat and get ready for the video conference, then we'll discuss maiming the bearded one."

**Fort Meade, MD**

**NSA HQ**

**1445 EST **

Dianne Beckman was at her desk putting the finishing touches on her plan for the inter-, Mr. Bartowski_. _

_'__I hope this works, but if not there is always 'Plan B','_ she thought.

Glancing at her watch she realized that the Foley's should be there soon. She'd been notified earlier that their vehicle had already gone through the main gate at Ft Meade. The phone rang and she answered "Beckman secure."

"General, the guests you've been expecting have arrived and I've had them escorted to your conference room," the General's administrative assistant said.

"Thank you, I'm headed there now. Hold all calls unless WW III breaks out," Beckman replied. She got up from her desk and used her ID card and entered her PIN to open the door to the conference room. As she entered, she greeted her guests "Mary, Ed welcome but you really needn't have bothered to come all the way up here."

"Oh, it's no trouble at all. It gives me more time with Mary than I usually get," Ed said with a smile.

"Besides as I said before, this is important and I'd hate for our participation to be interrupted by technical problems," Mary added.

"What do you think he wants to discuss? Besides the termination order that is. You've known him longer, what can we expect?" Ed asked, trying to ease the tension.

"Well, I don't really know much about him other than what's in his dossier. With my history with his mother, I purposefully avoid getting to know him on a personal level. I knew I might have to give the order to place him into protective custody or worse. I do know he can be a colossal pain in the backside! I have no idea what an underachieving nerd he wants, I'm not sure even he knows what he wants. Wait, that's not exactly true, I do know that he has feelings for Agent Walker so he probably wants permission to ask her out on a date like that kid in that awful Redford movie about the NSA," Beckman scoffed.

"I don't know, I've always liked James Earl Jones, how can you not like the guy who voiced Darth Vader?" Ed mused.

"Honey, your inner nerd is showing, lets save the sci-fi talk for home," Mary gently scolded.

"Sorry, so you think all he wants is a date? I mean you did put a termination order out on him, you think that the worst that'll happen?" Ed asked.

"No, I don't think that's the worst case scenario. Given who his parents are, the worst case is that he runs. If he runs by himself we'll have a chance to catch him but if he runs with Walker, who knows. But either of those scenarios are bad news if Fulcrum were to find him before we did," Beckman replied.

"Well then I guess you'd better be prepared to do whatever is necessary to make sure that doesn't happen. Except killing him that is, you've already tried that," Mary said with a stern look.

"Are the snarky comments really necessary?" the tiny General asked while glaring at Mary.

"Let's all calm down, be civil and just wait and see what he has to say before any decisions are made," said Ed trying play peacemaker once again.

"You're right honey. Sorry Dianne, it's been a long night and since taking over, I've spent most of my time cleaning up Graham's messes. Machiavelli could have taken a few lessons from him in duplicity. I'll try to be more civil if you will." Mary said.

"Agreed," Beckman said with heavy sigh.

The video screen came on and a technician's voice announced that the briefing would start in 30 seconds.

Noticing the General's apprehension Mary spoke softly to her with a twinkle in her eye, "Remember our deal, you said you'd keep an open mind. This is for the greater good after all."

General Beckman looked stricken for a moment then laughed softly, "Thank you, I needed that"

"Five, four, three, two….," the technician counted down. The screen changed and Chuck and Sarah appeared on the display. The image on the screen showed them standing in front of the conference table in Castle. They were beside each other, but not too close.

"Good Afternoon Mr. Bartowski, Agent Walker. Allow me to introduce Deputy Director of Intelligence Ed Foley and the National Clandestine Service Director Mary Pat Foley." General Beckman said.

"Good afternoon Directors, General," Agent Walker said first as she noticed Chuck was in the process of flashing on the CIA Directors names.

"Wow! You two are married? And you know Sar- Agent Walker from – um, never mind. Ah, well, good afternoon – well I guess it really isn't a good, well anything but it's nice to meet you. I wish it were under better circumstances," Chuck stammered as he recovered from his flash.

"It's nice to finally meet you too Mr. Bartowski. I've enjoyed reading your mission reports, they're…entertaining to say the least," Ed said with a pleasant smile.

"Nice to meet you Mr. Bartowski. Thank you for what you did earlier this week. This country owes you a huge debt of gratitude," Mary said with a sideways glance the General Beckman.

"Thank you both. It was a team effort and please, call me Chuck," Chuck said with a slightly embarrassed smile.

"Well, now that the pleasantries are out of the way we can get started. Now Mr. Bartowski, I want -," Beckman started to say before Agent Walker interrupted.

"General, since Chuck called for this meeting, maybe he should go first," Mary Pat said politely.

"Fine, Mr. Bartowski you have the floor," General Beckman said curtly.

"Thank you General, I'd to discuss what I saw in last night's download," Chuck said nervously.

"Mr. Bartowski, there are issues of National Security to take into consideration when making these decisions. We felt -," the General said before stopping mid sentence when Mary Pat cleared her throat.

"General, I'm not here to talk about the past. I understand that I'm viewed as an asset, an expendable asset apparently, but I hope that's not true any longer. I may not be a super spy or really any kind of spy for that matter but I do contribute to our missions. Look, I'm just a nerd who works at the Buy More trying to live a normal life. I'm an innocent bystander who got involved when one a government agent decided to send me the Intersect. I'm not some bad guy to be used and then discarded when I'm no longer of any use to the government. Ever since this thing happened to me, I'm so afraid of being thrown in a bunker, or worse. The sad thing is I've grown to accept how I'm treated and I'm even grateful for just one more day of freedom, such as it is. I have to lie to everyone in my life, family, friends, and my employer. It's a miracle I haven't been fired yet. I'm called the 'Asset' or the 'Intersect' as though I'm a person anymore. I'm put into situations that I never in a million years believed could happen to me. Without any special training I might add. I've been shot at, kidnapped several times, poisoned, thrown from buildings – well actually only once; I jumped the other two times. This team has completed eighteen major missions successfully with very few major injuries and no loss of life, in spite being continuously outnumbered. And my reward for all that is being almost thrown into a bunker and I was only seconds away from being killed by my so called teammate on orders from my own government. That's one heck of an incentive plan you've got there General," Chuck scoffed.

"Yes, your – I mean, the team has had successes but by your own admission, you've been in harm's way far too often –," Beckman started to say but was cut off by Chuck.

"Yes I have been in harm's way! But how many times have you sent the three of us in against superior numbers? Casey and Sarah are the best at what they do but come on General, do the math! We've been lucky so far!" Chuck said with more than a hint of exasperation in his voice.

Beckman glared at Chuck, she was fuming at the implication that the team's near misses were somehow her fault. '_Doesn't he understand? I can't run the risk of reading more people into the Intersect program without running the risk of Fulcrum finding him!'_ She thought angrily.

"Alright everyone, let's calm down. I know emotions are running high right now, but that won't help us find a resolution to this issue," Ed said softly.

Chuck took a deep breath after listening to Ed's words. He could tell by the General's expression that this was going to be a hard sell. He looked at Sarah to find the strength he needed to continue. Her slight nod and the tiniest hint of a smile bolstered his confidence.

"Look, I'm willing to let bygones be bygones and start fresh and with that in mind, I have some ideas on how to move forward," Chuck said and then was silent as if waiting for a reply.

"Go on Chuck, what do you have in mind?" asked Mary Pat.

Beckman looked at Chuck and saw he was waiting for her to acknowledge his request to make his proposal. Not trusting herself to speak she simply nodded at him.

"Honestly, I only have a few simple requests. First, I'd like a job with the government. Oh, not as a spy, but now that I have my degree from Stanford and with my experience, I think I could fill either a Field Analyst or a Field Tech Support position. Of course I'd expect pay and benefits matching my skill set. I'll leave up to you select which agency will work out the best. I emailed my resume to you just before the meeting started. I realize that either of these positions will require some sort of training which I'd be happy to do. And well, since I've worked for free the last year; I'd like the last of Ellie's student loans paid off. Consider it back pay, it is still less than a full year's salary would've been. I owe her for, well basically everything," Chuck said nervously.

"Let me get this straight, you want paid to allow the government access to information it already owns? As to being an analyst, what experience do you have?" Beckman asked pointedly.

_ '__Oh boy, this is not going well,'_ Chuck thought. "You misunderstood me General; I don't want paid for using the Intersect. There are a lot of things I do that don't involve the using Intersect at all, like getting codes for rogue satellites. I just want to serve my country as completely as you, Sarah and Casey do. I mean I assume the three of you get paid, why shouldn't I? I know that I'm no agent but I contribute to the team and many times my analysis of the situation at hand has led to successful missions. I'll gladly take any test if needed to prove my capabilities. If I pass and get hired, I also assume the benefits would include a car, since I'll have to turn in the Nerd Herder. I mean I'm not asking for a Nissan GTR, but something a little sporty… you know that doesn't really matter, a nice sedan will be fine."

"I could give him a standard CIA analyst exam and see how he scores. As to you technical skills we could let someone from the Directorate of Science and Technology evaluate his skill set," Ed interjected.

"Is there anything else Chuck?" Mary Pat asked.

"Yes there is, I'd also like to get different cover jobs for the team. We work way too many hours at our cover jobs, which could cause fatigue and lead to mistakes on missions. I think we should close the Orange Orange and convert it into office space. Then we can start a company doing both physical and cyber security work. By working for ourselves we can come and go as we please without raising people's suspicions. I drafted a business plan that I'd like for you to look at.

"Now you want dictate what your cover job should be and I suppose you want the taxpayers to provide the startup capital for your business venture?" Beckman snapped.

"Chuck, can you summarize your idea for the cover business for us," Mary asked.

"Absolutely Director, yes the security company will be initially funded by the taxpayers but the costs for renovation and equipment costs aren't really that much. Getting a few government contracts for cyber security will allow us to root out any Fulcrum moles and give us much needed Intel while making government networks safer. Additionally my business plan is designed to pay the startup cost back to taxpayers. Then the profits will get funneled back the government to be used for other counterespionage missions. In a sense Castle becomes revenue neutral, which means no monetary oversight from the politicians which keeps us off the radar from probing eyes. It's all laid in the business plan with facts and figures. I even have some pie charts and graphs in it," Chuck said excitedly.

"Sounds interesting, I'm sure we're all anxious to read it. What are your other requests?" Ed said with an intrigued look on his face.

"I want to get an apartment of my own. And, I don't want any bugs and cameras in it. You can install panic buttons inside and keep surveillance up outside but I want my privacy back. The same goes for Ellie and Awesome's place. And speaking of my sister, I can't keep lying to her. I would like to tell her and Devon that I work for the government covertly but tell them nothing about the Intersect. Finally General, I want the termination order and bunker option taken off the table, permanently," Chuck paused to see General Beckman's reaction.

"You want to leave the Intersect unprotected. You want civilians to be read into a Top Secret operation. Lastly, you want your safety guaranteed at the possible expense of the countries security. Did I miss anything?" she asked through gritted teeth.

"About the privacy thing, again I just want the same level of respect that any other government employee gets. I would ask that the apartment is as close to my sister as I can get but I'll do whatever is needed to comply with your security requirements. I understand the need for security; I mean it's my life on the line after all. The new company can install a state of the art security system with hidden emergency distress buttons in every room, even setup a panic room. I just don't want to feel like I'm in a bunker when I'm home. As to telling my family, they have a right to know what I'm doing. Not specifically of course but at least that work for the Government. As to your 'final option' General, I'd never put my own well being over that of others, that's why I never stay in the car. Look, I've read your bio on the NSA webpage. You are an amazing woman; you were one of the first women to attend the Air Force Academy and graduated near the top of your class. You speak several languages, have a Masters degree in international studies and nearly have your doctorate. You are a Brigadier General and the first female Director of the NSA. With all of that, you're telling me the best solution you can come up with is death or imprisonment? I'm sure you could come up with a better solution than that if you put your mind to it, I know I could and after reading your bio you most likely have a higher IQ than me," Chuck said said as diplomatically as he could.

"Flattery Mr. Bartowski? Very well, are those all of your demands?" the General asked with a scowl in spite of his glowing comments about her.

"Well, I view them more as requests, but yeah, I guess that's all except that we need to discuss who is going to be on Team Intersect. I'd really like for Agent Walker to stay on the team. We work well together and she's already read into Project Omaha so it's one less chance for Fulcrum to infiltrate," Chuck answered.

"The team roster is really not your concern. I'll assign the best agents that can fulfill the mission requirements as outlined by me. Agents that can't follow orders are of no use to me," Beckman said as she glared at Sarah with her last statement.

"General, I need to be able to trust my team if I'm to be effective. As we've already stated, I'm not trained. I can't just compartmentalize my emotions. If I don't trust or if I feel threatened by my coworkers, I fear it'll affect the missions and the last thing I want is for someone on our side to get hurt by my lack of focus. I couldn't live with that," he said solemnly.

"Fair enough, but I need at least one agent that I can count on. If I let Walker stay, will you let Major Casey stay on the team?" she asked thoughtfully.

"Wow, that will be hard, seeing as he tried to kill me once, but if I have Agent Walker to watch my back I could learn to deal with it," Chuck said.

"Fine, send me your detailed requests, business plan, salary and benefit requirements to my office tomorrow by 0700 EST and I'll look them over and talk to my superiors. But just to be clear, I make no promises. Once the decision is made, no matter what it is, you'll have to abide by it. Do I make myself clear?" Beckman asked.

"Yes General. All I ask is that you truly give my requests the consideration they deserve," Chuck said.

"Understood, allow me look things over and we'll reconvene in 48 hours from now and I'll give the team, and I want all three members present, of my decision. Do either of you have anything to add?" she said to Ed and Mary Pat.

"Chuck, I'll send you those tests for you take. If work on them this evening and send them along in the morning with the material that General Beckman needs it'll speed the process up. Agent Walker, I'll need you to be the Procter for the tests," Ed said.

"Yes sir, that'll be no problem," Agent Walker replied.

"It was nice seeing you again Sarah, while you're protecting Chuck don't forget to take care of self as well. Who knows, if all works out maybe you can accompany Chuck to his employment indoctrination and we can have you two over to the house for Dinner. I know the boys would like to see you again Sarah, plus Ed will have someone to nerd out with," Mary Pat said warmly.

"I'd like that very much Ma'am," Sarah said.

"If there's nothing further then, good day," and with that Beckman hit the end button.

A/N: This was my longest Chapter yet. Hope you enjoyed it! If not let me know why.


End file.
